Where does “tablecloth” come from?
Tablecloth comes from Middle English tabyllcloth, a variant of Middle English bordcloth, from Old English bordclāþ, a compound of board and cloth.
tablecloth (English): A cloth used to cover and protect a table,...
Definitions
- A cloth used to cover and protect a table,...
Ancestry of “tablecloth”, step by step
tablecloth traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English cloth
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cloth | A woven fabric such as used in dressing,... |
| 2 | Middle English | cloþ | Alternative form of cloth; cloth, garment |
| 3 | Old English | clāþ | cloth, clothes, covering, sail |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | klaiþą | cloth |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gleyt- | to cling to, cleave, stick |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gley- | to glue, paste, stick together; to glue, stick... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gel- | to be cold, to freeze |
via English table
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | table | Furniture with a top surface to accommodate a... |
| 2 | Middle English | table | A table; A level writing surface; Any level... |
| 3 | Old French | table | table |
| 4 | Latin | tabula | tablet, sometimes a tablet covered with wax for... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | *taðlā | board |
via Middle English tabyllcloth
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | tabyllcloth | — |
| 2 | Middle English | bord cloth | Alternative form of bordcloth |
| 3 | Old English | bordclāþ | tablecloth |