Etymology Map
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Duvet

2 stages from French to English.

Today it means a thick soft quilt used instead of blankets

Where does the word "duvet" come from? It comes from French duvet, adopted directly into English (1750s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
duvet
French · 1700s
"down"
down, the soft feathers of birds
2
Stage 2 of 2
duvet
English · 1750s
"quilt"
long a rarity in Britain; Terence Conran's Habitat shops popularized the 'continental quilt' in the 1960s
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Duvet’s story begins in French: duvet meant “down.” Down, the soft feathers of birds. It reached English by 1750s as duvet. Long a rarity in Britain; Terence Conran's Habitat shops popularized the 'continental quilt' in the 1960s. Today, duvet means a thick soft quilt used instead of blankets.