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cardigan

Etymology and origin of the English word cardigan

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈkɑːdɪɡən/ (UK)[1]

Etymology

Named after James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan (1797–1868), a British cavalry officer of the Crimean War.[2][3][4][5][6] He is said to have worn such a jacket while leading the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava in 1854.[4][5] The place name Cardigan is an English form of Welsh Ceredigion “Ceredig's land”.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A knitted woollen over-waistcoat, with or without sleeves (1868).[7][4][5] Merriam-Webster dates it to 1862.[3]

Semantic evolution

The garment has kept its name and broad shape, a knitted top opening down the front;[2][3] today it is usually a collarless sweater fastened with buttons or a zip.[3][1]

Timeline

  • 1862 – first date in Merriam-Webster.[3]
  • 1868 – a knitted woollen over-waistcoat.[7][4][5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A knitted sweater or jacket, usually collarless, that opens down the full length of the front.
  • balaclava
  • raglan

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  5. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Cardigan.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/cardigan. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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