Eiderdown Quilt
/ˈaɪ.dər.daʊn kwɪlt/noun
A quilt filled with the soft insulating down feathers of eider ducks.
Did you know?Eiderdown is traditionally collected from abandoned nests after the ducklings hatch, making it one of the few luxury fillings gathered without killing the bird.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Germanic
*ēþrō
“The reconstructed ancestor of the word for the eider duck.”
Old Norse
Old Norse
æðr
“Eider duck, a sea duck known for its exceptionally soft down.”
16th Century
English
eider
“The name adopted in English for the eider duck, ultimately borrowed through Scandinavian forms.”
Old English
Old English
dūn
“Down or soft feathers, especially the under-feathers of birds.”
Latin
Latin
culcita
“A mattress, cushion, or stuffed bed covering.”
13th Century
Old French
cuilte
“A quilted bedcover or padded covering, descended from Latin culcita.”
Modern English
English
eiderdown quilt
“A quilt or comforter filled with eider duck down.”