Where does “pillowcase” come from?
Pillowcase comes from Middle English pilwecas, combining Middle English pilwe from Old English pyle, from Latin casus meaning "fall" or "chance," derived from Latin cadere meaning "to fall."
pillowcase (English): A washable, easily removable cloth cover for...
Definitions
- A washable, easily removable cloth cover for...
Ancestry of “pillowcase”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Case | abstract feature of a noun phrase that determines... |
| 2 | German | Käse | cheese; nonsense |
| 3 | Middle High German | kæse | cheese |
| 4 | Old High German | kāsi | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | kāsī | cheese |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | kāsijaz | — |
| 7 | Latin | cāseus | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kwat- | to ferment, become sour; to boil |