scarlet: [13] Scarlet originally denoted a sumptuous sort of cloth, which came in various colours, not just red. Red was evidently the commonest colour, however, for by the 15th century we find the word scarlet being used for ‘red’. It was borrowed from Old French escarlate, but where that came from is not known (some have derived it from Persian saqalāt ‘rich cloth’, but this has not been conclusively established). [scarlet etymology, scarlet origin, 英语词源]