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Where does the word "wardrobe" come from? It comes from Old French garde-robe, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).
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Where does the word "wardrobe" come from? It comes from Old French garde-robe, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).
Wardrobe’s story begins in Old French: garde-robe meant “a place to guard clothing.” Literally guard robe, from garder (to guard) and robe (garment). It reached English by 1300s as wardrobe. Settled as the English word for a room or cabinet for storing clothes. Today, wardrobe means a cabinet or room for storing clothes, or a person's entire collection of clothing.
- Stage 1 · Old French · medieval garde-robe "a place to guard clothing", literally guard robe, from garder (to guard) and robe (garment).
- Stage 2 · English · 1300s wardrobe "a cabinet or room for storing clothes", settled as the English word for a room or cabinet for storing clothes.