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haberdasher

Etymology and origin of the English word haberdasher

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈhæb.ə(ɹ)ˌdæʃ.ə(ɹ)/ (UK)[1]

Etymology

It comes from Middle English haberdassher,[2] probably an alteration of Anglo-Norman hapertas (“small wares”),[3][4][5] also the name of a kind of cloth,[5][2][6] a word of unknown origin.[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A dealer in small articles of trade, such as thread, tape and ribbons (1311–12; as a surname, Haperdasser, 1280).[7][4][5]

Semantic evolution

A medieval haberdasher sold many small goods, including caps, purses, beads and thread,[5][7] and was also a dealer in or maker of hats and caps.[7][4] In British use the word still means a seller of sewing goods.[2][6][1] In American English, by 1886–1887, it had come to mean a dealer in men's clothing and accessories,[4][5] probably through the intermediate sense of a seller of hats.[4][5] Haberdashery is recorded from 1419.[4]

Timeline

  • 1280 – Haperdasser, as a surname.[4]
  • 1311–12 – a dealer in small wares.[7][4]
  • 1419 – haberdashery.[4]
  • 1592 – figurative use.[7]
  • 1887 – US, a dealer in men's clothing.[4][5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A retailer of men's clothing and accessories, such as shirts, ties and hats.
  2. (chiefly British) A dealer in sewing goods and small wares, such as thread, buttons and ribbons.

Word family

  • haberdashery
  • haberdash
  • milliner

References

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

“Haberdasher.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/haberdasher. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·