Etymology Map
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Jacket

2 stages from Old French to English.

Today it means a short coat; an outer covering

Where does the word "jacket" come from? It comes from Old French jaque, adopted directly into English (1400s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
jaque
Old French · 1300s
"padded tunic"
a padded tunic, possibly named from Jacques, the nickname for a French peasant, as in the Jacquerie revolt of 1358; an Arabic source has also been proposed
2
Stage 2 of 2
jacket
English · 1400s
"short coat; outer cover"
via its Middle French diminutive jaquet, a short close-fitting coat; later extended to covers, like potatoes baked 'in their jackets' and paper dust jackets on books from the 1890s
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Jacket’s story begins in Old French: jaque meant “padded tunic.” A padded tunic, possibly named from Jacques, the nickname for a French peasant, as in the Jacquerie revolt of 1358; an Arabic source has also been proposed. It reached English by 1400s as jacket. Via its Middle French diminutive jaquet, a short close-fitting coat; later extended to covers, like potatoes baked 'in their jackets' and paper dust jackets on books from the 1890s. Today, jacket means a short coat; an outer covering.