Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#208123 11/27/2012 4:37 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
My son is going to be wearing a kilt to be in a friend's wedding (oh, this is going to be SO photo-worthy!).
How did a kilt come to be called that, please?

Jackie #208125 11/27/2012 6:35 AM
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
It's from a verb in Middle English kilten 'to tuck up'. It's from Scandinavian, Old Icelandic.


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
zmjezhd #208129 11/27/2012 1:10 PM
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Then to tuck up your kilt would be a redundancy?. Any relation between quilt and kilt?

BranShea #208130 11/27/2012 2:12 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Quilt comes ultimately from Latin culcita, 'mattress'.

Jackie #208135 11/27/2012 5:33 PM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,971
Likes: 3
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,971
Likes: 3
To tuck up must be akin to the biblical "to gird one's loins".
The long robes worn in that era would prevent haste, thus
to pick up the hems of the robe and tuck them in to the
belt to free the lower legs from obstruction so movement
could be quicker.


----please, draw me a sheep----
LukeJavan8 #208136 11/27/2012 6:03 PM
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
"to gird one's loins".

Gird (< ME girden < OE gyrdan 'to gird, bind round; L. cingere') is related to girdle. The concept behind girding is to encircle or put on a belt. Loins weren't the only things being girded in the Old Testament: cf. Lev VIII.7. And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound [it] unto him therewith.


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
BranShea #208137 11/27/2012 6:05 PM
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Any relation between quilt and kilt?

Nope (see Faldo's reply for etymology) just a happy coincidence.


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
zmjezhd #208141 11/27/2012 6:56 PM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,971
Likes: 3
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,971
Likes: 3
Thanks for the research.


----please, draw me a sheep----
Jackie #208188 12/01/2012 5:35 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Thanks, all! zmjezhd, I was going to ask you what men who wear a kilt are tucking up, but I reckon Luke answered that.

zmjezhd #208562 12/31/2012 5:28 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
> put the ephod upon him

Yes, very curious - since I gather this word comes from the Hebrew meaning 'to put on', it looks suspiciously like a translation error, doesn't it?

maverick #208589 12/31/2012 10:01 PM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,075
old hand
old hand
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,075
Collins has it so:-

an embroidered vestment believed to resemble an apron with shoulder straps, worn by priests in ancient Israel
[from Hebrew ēphōdh]


I'm immortal until proven otherwise
maverick #208596 12/31/2012 11:43 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Originally Posted By: maverick
> put the ephod upon him

Yes, very curious - since I gather this word comes from the Hebrew meaning 'to put on', it looks suspiciously like a translation error, doesn't it?


MAV?! You're back?

Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,971
Likes: 3
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,971
Likes: 3

Last edited by LukeJavan8; 01/01/2013 12:13 AM.

----please, draw me a sheep----
Faldage #208602 01/01/2013 1:38 AM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
> back

Hi Fong, Happy New Year to you and the lovely AnnaS. 'Back' may be a little premature, having popped in for a reminder about Tom Swifties, but.

Thanks Rhuby and Luke - yes, I get that we're talking about a garment used in religious rituals that is more or less an apron or, schematically, a decorative wife-beater. But the only etymology I found suggested that the noun came from 'aphad', meaning 'to put on'. So the original meaning was something like…

And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ‘thing you put on’ upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ‘thing you put on’, and bound [it] unto him therewith.


Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2025 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 8.0.0