Gingham
/ˈɡɪŋ.əm/noun
A checked cotton or cotton-blend fabric, especially in a simple woven pattern.
Did you know?Gingham almost certainly began as a place-name word, probably from Malay *genggang* meaning “striped” or “spotted,” and entered English through Dutch and French trade routes.
Etymological Timeline
17th Century
Malay
genggang
“striped, striped cloth, or spotted”
17th Century
Dutch
gingang / gingham
“a striped fabric or cloth imported through trade”
17th Century
French
guingan / guingamp
“a type of striped cotton cloth; later associated with Guingamp in Brittany”
18th Century
English
gingham
“striped or checked cotton cloth”
Modern English
English
gingham
“checked cotton fabric, especially in a plain woven pattern”