Delft
/dɛlft/noun
A type of Dutch tin-glazed earthenware, especially blue-and-white pottery.
Did you know?Delftware took off because Dutch potters adapted the high-status look of Chinese porcelain, turning a local city name into a symbol of luxury ceramics across Europe.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Germanic
PGmc
*delþō
“a ditch or trench”
Old Dutch
ODu
delf
“a dug ditch or canal”
Middle Dutch
MDu
Delf
“the name of the town of Delft, likely referring to a dug canal or waterway”
17th Century
Dutch/English
Delfts aardewerk / Delft ware
“tin-glazed earthenware made in the style associated with Delft”
Modern English
English
Delft
“Delftware; by extension, the pottery style named for the Dutch city”