chintz

PRONUNCIATION: chnts
NOUN: A printed and glazed cotton fabric, usually of bright colors.
ETYMOLOGY: Obsolete chints, pl. of chint, calico cloth, from Hindi c, from Sanskrit citra-, shiny, variegated

I love to see chintz fabric on wicker or rattan on a summer porch! It has always seemed a pity to me that chintzy meant cheap or shoddy because the fabric breathes of the best of summer florals.

Dear Doc

It's interesting that they say the Sanskrit 'citra' is the root word, because from my (admittedly not spectacular) knowledge of Hindi (and its primarily Sanskrit vocabulary), citra, or chitra, would mean a picture. No doubt it would be colourful, but perhaps the original chint or chintz was printed like a picture?

the sunshine "alternative etymologies r us" warrior

Dear Shanks: much of the early chintz apparently did have pictures of things made by something like a blockprint technique, rather than just geometric figures.

Indonesian citra (c = ch) means image, usually in the PR sense.

Bingley

Oh, when I think of chintz--at least chintz on the beautiful rattan furniture I've seen--I think of floral designs. If chintz does indeed derive from this word for picture, it would be good to know what the subject of the pictures were on the early chintz. Perhaps it was a matter of still life portraits of flowers, to point out the obvious. (Happy New Year, Ron!)