I'm always fascinated when I run into a word with an unknown or uncertain origin. Haberdashery is one such word, and while most dictionaries will point to a likely connection to a word for a kind of cloth in the Anglo-French period of English history, a delightfully tweedy chap called the Oxford Etymologist will set you straight. His exhaustive list of proposed origins is fascinating reading. And I was also delighted to learn that, in counterpoint, millinery is word with a very well documented origin. Quite simply, fancy hats and accessories for ladies used to come from Milan.
And, by the way, I'd link to an online dictionary for those two words, but I really haven't found one that I think is very nice. They all seem to have so many poorly placed ads obscuring the actual content. I'm open to suggestions, if anyone has any.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I always thought haberdashery was for dudes' fancy hats and a millinery was for ladies. The hat saga continues...
ReplyDeleteBrandy-You're right actually about the definitions for both. Haberdashers can also sell other men's accessories, though, like ties, socks, watches and whatever the spry metro needs these days.
ReplyDeleteThe most important thing about haberdashery is how much fun it is to say aloud.