Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-03
MIFFLINTOWN JUNIATA COUNTY, PENNA. SEPTEMBER 1873
The Etym0l0gy of Fashion.

There are many words, indicating
particular fabrics, which have so passed
into familiar language that no Longer
necessarily suggest any special signifi
canoe, except as trademark of quality
But the etymology of the subject is
nevertheless, interesting. Most persons
giving thought to the matter at al
would instantly recognize the meaning
or Mechlin, Alencon, Brussels and
Chantilly lace, why one shawl is called
Paisley and another sCashmere that
Holland was originally manufactured
by the Dutch, and that Fez cap car
ries with it local significance. The
materials known in commerce as Cir
cassian, Cyprus, Coburg and Damask,
equally explain themselves; and, though
in a totally different manner, such fash
ions as those of Wellington and Blucher
boots, Macintosh and Chesterfield
coats, and Spencers. But why is shirt
front popularity called a dickey? Why
are poplins so named? Why blankets
as the covering of a bed? Or silk, or
shawl, or jerkin, or maud, or cravat ?
1t is when we fall amid these shadows
of learning that the etymologists enjoy
their Walpurgis dance of guesses. Thus
with blankets. There are said to have
been three brothers of that name at
Worcester, who invented the coverlet
so called, and, in confirmation, it is
pointed out not far from the antique
city. is still locality known as the
Blanquets. On the other hand, Bristol
claims them among her medi8val citi-
zens, though, for all that, they may have
been Worcestershire men as well. The
coarse woolens of their fabricating ap-
pear to have been eagerly adopted by
the peasantry, as a substitute for
hempen cloth then soldiers. sportmen
and travellers found them useful next
they were laid on the stump bedsteads
of the time, and blue blanket became
a Masonic banner. This may confidently
be reckoned among things not quite uni
versally known. As to poplin, it was
invented in a papal territory, though by
Huguenot, and hence called papaline,
which account we may as well credit,
seeing that no other is at hand. Silk
may be Greek, Persian, an Avalic.
Tartar, or a Chinese appelation, since
the photographers and other erudition-
lists might be quoted in favor of each
language but concerning shawl, there
is only single doubt, between a Per-
sian word and the town of Shawl, in
Beloochistan, whence it may possibly
have been derived, and which was for
merly famous for the manufacture.
This must not be confounded with the
celebrated shawl of Leybourne A maud
is Scotch plaid, christened after a
Scottish Queen, daughter of Malcolm,
and wife of Henry the 1. Jerkin may
be from the Anglo Saxon crytellien,
which good authorities aver to the di-
minutive of cyntel, coat, presump-
ton, at any rate, more rational than
that which traces it to the vulgarism of
Little Jerry, which is also claimed for
jacket. But now we reach formidable
mystery. Whence came the name cravat?
Was it first worn by a Croat cavalier
Because that is almost the sole sugges-
ton of the learned. Concerning collars,
there used to be sort worn in Germany,
which were nicknamed Vatermordern,
or father murderers, from the legend of
student who returned from the uniTer-
sity with such stiff pair that. on en-
bracing his parent, they cut his throat.
There are many testimonies to suicides,
tight lacing, to wit ; caused by vanity
in dress, but we think this is the only
case of assassination on record. In the
general glossary, cardinals, capuchins
and mantillas tell their own story,
though the old fashioned berthas do
not, and therenowned chapeau de paille,
which so harmonized with the beauty
of the Churchills of the last century,
would be equally explicit had it been
straw hat at all.-"Bazaar."