orpiment n.

early 15c., "resembling gold, gold-colored," also figuratively, "splendid, brilliant," from Latin aureatus "decorated with gold," from aureus "golden," from aurum "gold," from PIE root *aus- (2) "gold" (source also of Sanskrit ayah "metal," Avestan ayo, Latin aes "brass," Old English ar "brass, copper, bronze," Gothic aiz "bronze," Old Lithuanian ausas "gold"), which is probably related to root *aus- (1) "to shine."

Especially of highly ornamented literary or rhetorical styles. Related: Aureation.

also *peik-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to cut, mark by incision," hence "embroider, paint."

It forms all or part of: depict; file (n.2) "metal tool for abrading or smoothing;" paint; pictogram; pictograph; pictorial; picture; picturesque; pigment; pimento; pint; pinto.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit pimsati "to carve, hew out, cut to measure, adorn;" Greek pikros "bitter, sharp, pointed, piercing, painful," poikilos "spotted, pied, various;" Latin pingere "to embroider, tattoo, paint, picture;" Old Church Slavonic pila "file, saw," pegu "variegated," pisati "to write;" Lithuanian piela "file," piešiu, piešti "to write;" Old High German fehjan "to adorn."