Etymologically
Log in

cloth

Etymology and origin of the English word cloth

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
before 800
Inherited from
Old English clāþ
Ultimate origin
Proto-Germanic (*klaiþą)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /klɒθ/, /klɔːθ/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old English clāþ (“a cloth, sail, covering, woven or felted material; garment”),[2][3][4] from Proto-Germanic *kalithaz,[3] source also of Dutch kleed and German Kleid (“dress, garment”),[3][2][4] which is of obscure origin, perhaps a substrate word;[3][4][5] Barnhart and Merriam-Webster connect it with Old English clīþan, to adhere.[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

A piece of woven or felted material, also a garment: before 800.[7][2]

Semantic evolution

A tablecloth is from about 1300,[7] and the sails of a ship from about 1325.[7] Cloth of estate, spread over a throne, is from 1523.[7] The distinctive dress of a profession or trade is from the 1590s, hence the cloth, the clerical profession, from 1701.[3] The plural was formerly clothes, which has become a separate word.[7][4]

Timeline

  • before 800 – a piece of cloth; a garment.[7]
  • c. 1300 – a tablecloth.[7]
  • c. 1325 – sails.[7]
  • 1590s – professional dress.[3]
  • 1701 – the clergy.[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. Fabric made by weaving, knitting or felting fibres.
  2. A piece of fabric used for a purpose, such as a tablecloth or dishcloth.
  3. (the cloth) The clergy, or the dress of the clergy.
  4. (nautical) Sailcloth, or a panel of a sail.

Word family

  • clothlike
  • backcloth
  • breechcloth
  • broadcloth
  • cerecloth
  • cheesecloth
  • clothbound
  • clothier
  • clothe
  • clothes
  • clothing
  • clad

Usage notes

In Scots and English dialect, cloth often meant linen, as distinct from calico.[8]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)

Related etymologies

  • born · also from Old English
  • pick · also from Old English
  • hair · also from Old English
  • lose · also from Old English
  • daughter · also from Old English
  • daily · also from Old English
  • forget · also from Old English
  • offer · also from Old English
Cite this entry

“Cloth.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/cloth. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·