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Where does the word "duvet" come from? It comes from French duvet, and was adopted directly into English (1750s).
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Where does the word "duvet" come from? It comes from French duvet, and was adopted directly into English (1750s).
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.
- Stage 1 · French · 1700s duvet "down", down, the soft feathers of birds.
- Stage 2 · English · 1750s duvet "quilt", long a rarity in Britain; Terence Conran's Habitat shops popularized the 'continental quilt' in the 1960s.