chiffon

Where does the word "chiffon" come from? It comes from French chiffe, and was adopted directly into English (1800s).

Chiffon’s story begins in French: chiffe meant “a rag, a flimsy cloth.” A rag, a flimsy piece of cloth. It reached English by 1800s as chiffon. Settled as the English word for the sheer, lightweight fabric. Today, chiffon means a lightweight, sheer fabric made of silk or synthetic fiber.

1. Stage 1 · French · 1700s chiffe "a rag, a flimsy cloth", a rag, a flimsy piece of cloth.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1800s chiffon "a sheer, lightweight fabric", settled as the English word for the sheer, lightweight fabric.