From Proto-Indo-European *peyḱ- (“to mark, paint; spot, color”), possibly via intermediate *pink- plus voicing assimilation, from the nasal-infixed form *pinéḱti ~ *pinḱénti; cognate with Ancient Greek ποικίλος (poikílos, “spotted, embroidered”), Proto-Slavic *pьstrъ (“multicolored, variegated”) (e.g. Czech pestrý). Pokorny also links to the root: Ancient Greek πικρός (pikrós, “sharp, keen”), Proto-Slavic *pьsati (“paint, write”) (see Czech psát, Russian пятно́ (pjatnó), писать (pisatʹ) etc.), Proto-Germanic *faihaz (“spotted”) (whence Old English fāh, Scots faw). Compare also Sanskrit पिङ्क्ते (piṅkte, “to paint, tinge, dye”).