western ▁part ▁of ▁China ▁and ▁its ▁inhabitants . ▁It ▁meant ▁" of ▁sil k ," ▁or ▁" land ▁where ▁sil k ▁comes ▁from ." ▁The ▁name ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁derive ▁from ▁the ▁Chinese ▁word ▁for ▁sil k , ▁" s ī " ▁( /). ▁It ▁is ▁itself ▁at ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁Latin ▁for ▁sil k , ▁" s ē rica ". ▁ ▁See ▁the ▁main ▁article ▁Ser ica ▁for ▁more ▁details . ▁▁ ▁An cient ▁Greek : ▁ Σ ῆ ρ ε ς ▁Ser es , ▁ Σ η ρ ι κ ό ς ▁Ser ik os ▁ ▁Latin : ▁Ser ica ▁ ▁This ▁may ▁be ▁a ▁back ▁formation ▁from ▁s ē rik os ▁( σ η ρ ι κ ό ς ), ▁" made ▁of ▁sil k ", ▁from ▁s ē r ▁( σ ή ρ ), ▁" sil kw orm ", ▁in ▁which ▁case ▁S ē res ▁is ▁" the ▁land ▁where ▁sil k ▁comes ▁from ." ▁ ▁S inae , ▁Sin ▁▁ ▁S ī na e ▁was ▁an ▁ancient ▁Greek ▁and ▁Roman ▁name ▁for ▁some ▁people ▁who ▁dw elt ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁Ser es ▁( Ser ica ) ▁in ▁the ▁eastern ▁extrem ity ▁of ▁the ▁inhab itable ▁world . ▁References ▁to ▁the ▁S inae ▁include ▁mention ▁of ▁a ▁city ▁that ▁the ▁Rom ans ▁called ▁S ē ra ▁M ē t ropol is , ▁which ▁may ▁be ▁modern ▁Ch ang ' an . ▁The ▁Latin ▁prefix es ▁S ino - ▁and ▁Sin - ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁words ▁such ▁as ▁Sin