EtymologyMap
Back to all words

Trace the journey of words

Today it means

flannel

a soft woven fabric, typically of cotton or wool

Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate

Where does the word "flannel" come from? It comes from Welsh gwlanen, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "flannel" come from? It comes from Welsh gwlanen, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).

Flannel’s story begins in Welsh: gwlanen meant “a woolen cloth.” A soft woven fabric, from gwlan (wool). It reached English by 1500s as flannel. Settled as the word for the soft woven fabric. Today, flannel means a soft woven fabric, typically of cotton or wool.

  1. Stage 1 · Welsh · medieval gwlanen "a woolen cloth", a soft woven fabric, from gwlan (wool).
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1500s flannel "a soft woven woolen or cotton fabric", settled as the word for the soft woven fabric.

Browse by origin