pantaloon

Where does the word "pantaloon" come from? It comes from Italian Pantalone, passing through French before entering English (1590s).

Pantaloon’s story begins in Italian: Pantalone meant “Pantalone (a character).” The miserly Venetian merchant of the commedia dell'arte, named after St Pantaleon, popular in Venice, and dressed in tight trousers. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in French as pantalon. Trousers like the character's. It reached English by 1590s as pantaloon. Americans shortened 'pantaloons' to 'pants' in the 1840s. Today, pantaloon means a foolish old man in comedy; (plural) baggy trousers.

1. Stage 1 · Italian · 1500s Pantalone "Pantalone (a character)", the miserly Venetian merchant of the commedia dell'arte, named after St Pantaleon, popular in Venice, and dressed in tight trousers.
2. Stage 2 · French · 1600s pantalon "trousers", trousers like the character's.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1590s pantaloon "comic old man; trousers", Americans shortened 'pantaloons' to 'pants' in the 1840s.