1
Stage 1 of 4
al-matrah
Arabic · medieval
"cushion, place to lie down"
literally "the place where something is thrown down"
2
Stage 2 of 4
materasso
Italian · medieval
"mattress"
adopted through Sicilian and Crusader-era trade contact
3
Stage 3 of 4
materas
Old French · 1200s
"mattress"
carried the padded sleeping surface into French
4
Stage 4 of 4
mattress
English · 1300s
"a padded surface for sleeping"
settled as the English word for a bed's padded surface
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom