Etymology Map
Back to all words

Eiderdown

2 stages from Icelandic to English.

Today it means a quilt stuffed with down; the soft down of the eider duck

Where does the word "eiderdown" come from? It comes from Icelandic æðardúnn, adopted directly into English (1770s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
æðardúnn
Icelandic · medieval
"eider down"
down gathered from the nests of the eider duck, still harvested on Iceland's coasts
2
Stage 2 of 2
eiderdown
English · 1770s
"down quilt"
came to mean a quilt stuffed with it
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Eiderdown’s story begins in Icelandic: æðardúnn meant “eider down.” Down gathered from the nests of the eider duck, still harvested on Iceland's coasts. It reached English by 1770s as eiderdown. Came to mean a quilt stuffed with it. Today, eiderdown means a quilt stuffed with down; the soft down of the eider duck.