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Wellington

2 stages from Old English to English.

Today it means a knee-length waterproof rubber boot

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

1
Stage 1 of 2
Weolingtun
Old English · medieval
"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 of 2
wellington
English · 1817
"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
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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.