Where does “couture” come from?

Couture comes from French haute couture, in which couture derives from Old French cousture, from Latin consuo meaning to sew together, formed from the prefix con- and suere meaning to sew.

couture (English): The production of high-end, custom-made clothing

Definitions

  1. The production of high-end, custom-made clothing

Ancestry of “couture”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishhaute coutureHigh fashion as produced in Paris and imitated in...
2Frenchhaute couturehaute couture, high fashion
3Frenchcouturesewing; dressmaking; seam
4Old Frenchcousture
5Vulgar Latinconsuturasewing, clothesmaking, the art of sewing
6Latincōnsūtussewn or stitched together
7Latincōnsuōto sew together, sew up, stitch, join
8Latincōn-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing together of several objects
9Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
10Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
11Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
12Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
13Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
14Middle Englishkyt
15Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
16Old High Germankuti
17Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
18Proto-Germanickweduzresin
Every word from Proto-Germanic kweduzEvery word from Latin cōn-Every word from Proto-West Germanic kwidu