tabby

Where does the word "tabby" come from? It comes from Arabic al-'Attabiya, passing through Old French before entering English (medieval).

Tabby’s story begins in Arabic: al-'Attabiya meant “a Baghdad district.” A neighborhood of Baghdad known for its striped silk. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as tabis. Named a striped silk fabric after the district. It reached English by medieval as tabby. Later applied to striped-coated cats resembling the fabric. Today, tabby means a cat with a striped or mottled coat pattern.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval al-'Attabiya "a Baghdad district", a neighborhood of Baghdad known for its striped silk.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval tabis "a striped silk fabric", named a striped silk fabric after the district.
3. Stage 3 · English · medieval tabby "a striped pattern; a striped cat", later applied to striped-coated cats resembling the fabric.