Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate
Tracing “”…
Where does the word "tweed" come from? It comes from Scots tweel, and was adopted directly into English (1830s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "tweed" come from? It comes from Scots tweel, and was adopted directly into English (1830s).
Tweed’s story begins in Scots: tweel meant “twill, a diagonal weave.” A Scots dialect word for twill, a woven fabric pattern. It reached English by 1830s as tweed. Possibly reinforced by association with the River Tweed in Scotland, home to the fabric's mills. Today, tweed means a rough, woolen fabric, traditionally woven in Scotland.
- Stage 1 · Scots · 1800s tweel "twill, a diagonal weave", a Scots dialect word for twill, a woven fabric pattern.
- Stage 2 · English · 1830s tweed "a rough woolen fabric", possibly reinforced by association with the River Tweed in Scotland, home to the fabric's mills.