Ceramic
early 19th century: from Greek keramikos, from keramos ‘pottery’.
wiktionary
From Ancient Greek κεραμικός(keramikós, “potter's”), from κέραμος(kéramos, “potter's clay”), perhaps from a pre-Hellenic word.
etymonline
ceramic (adj.)
1850, keramic, "of or belonging to pottery," from Greek keramikos, from keramos "potter's earth; tile; earthen vessel, jar, wine-jar, pottery," perhaps from a pre-Hellenic word. Watkins suggests a connection with Latin cremare "to burn," but Klein's sources are firmly against this. Beekes writes "No certain etymology," finds connection with kerasai "to mix" to be "formally unproblematic, but semantically not very convincing," and regards the proposed connection to verbs for "to burn, glow" "better from the semantic side." He concludes, "this technical term for tile-making may well be Pre-Greek (or Anatolian)." Spelling influenced by French céramique (1806). Related: ceramist "person devoted to ceramic art" (1855). Ceramics "art of making things from clay molded and baked" is attested from 1857.
