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Today it means

cambric

a fine, lightweight linen or cotton fabric

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Where does the word "cambric" come from? It comes from Flemish Kameryk, and was adopted directly into English (1530s).

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Where does the word "cambric" come from? It comes from Flemish Kameryk, and was adopted directly into English (1530s).

Cambric’s story begins in Flemish: Kameryk meant “the town of Cambrai.” The Flemish name for Cambrai, a French town famous for its fine white linen. It reached English by 1530s as cambric. Settled as the English word for the fine, lightweight linen fabric. Today, cambric means a fine, lightweight linen or cotton fabric.

  1. Stage 1 · Flemish · 1500s Kameryk "the town of Cambrai", the Flemish name for Cambrai, a French town famous for its fine white linen.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1530s cambric "a fine, lightweight linen or cotton fabric", settled as the English word for the fine, lightweight linen fabric.

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