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Where does the word "nainsook" come from? It comes from Hindi nain, passing through Urdu before entering English (1790).
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Where does the word "nainsook" come from? It comes from Hindi nain, passing through Urdu before entering English (1790).
Nainsook’s story begins in Hindi: nain meant “eye.” Meant 'eye'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Urdu as sukh. Meant 'pleasure, comfort'. It reached English by 1790 as nainsook. The compound 'eye's delight' named a soft, fine muslin fabric adopted by British textile traders. Today, nainsook means a soft, fine cotton muslin fabric, historically used for baby clothes and undergarments.
- Stage 1 · Hindi · medieval nain "eye", meant 'eye'.
- Stage 2 · Urdu · medieval sukh "pleasure, comfort", meant 'pleasure, comfort'.
- Stage 3 · English · 1790 nainsook "a soft, fine cotton muslin fabric", the compound 'eye's delight' named a soft, fine muslin fabric adopted by British textile traders.