Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. A cloth used to cover and protect a table,...

Ancestry of “tablecloth”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishclothA woven fabric such as used in dressing,...
2Middle EnglishcloþAlternative form of cloth; cloth, garment
3Old Englishclāþcloth, clothes, covering, sail
4Proto-Germanicklaiþącloth
5Proto-Indo-Europeangleyt-to cling to, cleave, stick
6Proto-Indo-Europeangley-to glue, paste, stick together; to glue, stick...
7Proto-Indo-Europeangel-to be cold, to freeze

Words derived from “tablecloth”

  • tableclothed
  • tableclothy
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gel- →