Etymology
The word linen is derived from the Latin for the flax plant, which is linum, and the earlier Greek λίνον (linon). This word history has given rise to a number of other terms:
- Line, derived from the use of a linen thread to determine a straight line;
- Lining, because linen was often used to create a lining for wool and leather clothing
- Lingerie, via French, originally denotes underwear made of linen
- Linseed oil, an oil derived from flax seed
- Linoleum, a floor covering made from linseed oil and other materials
In addition, the term in English, flaxen-haired, denoting a very light, bright blonde, comes from a comparison to the color of raw flax fiber.
Read more about this topic: Linen
Famous quotes containing the word etymology:
“Semantically, taste is rich and confusing, its etymology as odd and interesting as that of “style.” But while style—deriving from the stylus or pointed rod which Roman scribes used to make marks on wax tablets—suggests activity, taste is more passive.... Etymologically, the word we use derives from the Old French, meaning touch or feel, a sense that is preserved in the current Italian word for a keyboard, tastiera.”
—Stephen Bayley, British historian, art critic. “Taste: The Story of an Idea,” Taste: The Secret Meaning of Things, Random House (1991)
“The universal principle of etymology in all languages: words are carried over from bodies and from the properties of bodies to express the things of the mind and spirit. The order of ideas must follow the order of things.”
—Giambattista Vico (1688–1744)