Flannel
/ˈflæn.əl/noun
A soft woven fabric, usually made from wool, cotton, or synthetic fibers, with a slightly brushed surface.
Did you know?The word is thought to come from Welsh *gwlanen*, from *gwlan* meaning “wool,” and it entered English through the textile trade, where names often traveled with the cloth itself.
Etymological Timeline
Early Welsh
Cym
gwlanen
“woolen cloth”
Welsh
Cym
gwlan
“wool”
16th Century
English
flannell
“a soft woolen cloth”
17th Century
English
flannel
“the established English spelling for the fabric”
Modern English
English
flannel
“a soft woven fabric, often brushed for warmth”