wellington

Where does the word "wellington" come from? It comes from Old English Weolingtun, and was adopted directly into English (1817).

Wellington’s story begins in Old English: Weolingtun meant “a Somerset town.” A Somerset town, probably 'farmstead of Weola's people'; Arthur Wellesley took his title from it in 1809, becoming Duke of Wellington in 1814. It reached English by 1817 as wellington. The Duke had his London bootmaker adapt the Hessian boot, and after Waterloo in 1815 'Wellingtons' became the fashion; rubber versions were first made in France by Hiram Hutchinson in the 1850s. Today, wellington means a knee-length waterproof rubber boot.

1. Stage 1 · Old English · medieval Weolingtun "a Somerset town", a Somerset town, probably 'farmstead of Weola's people'; Arthur Wellesley took his title from it in 1809, becoming Duke of Wellington in 1814.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1817 wellington "tall waterproof boot", the Duke had his London bootmaker adapt the Hessian boot, and after Waterloo in 1815 'Wellingtons' became the fashion; rubber versions were first made in France by Hiram Hutchinson in the 1850s.