Taffety
/ˈtæf.ɪ.ti/noun
A thin, crisp silk fabric with a smooth, lustrous finish.
Did you know?Taffety is an older English form of taffeta, and the word ultimately comes from Persian through Italian and French, showing how elite textiles often carried their names across empires with the goods themselves.
Etymological Timeline
Persian (medieval)
fa
taftah
“a woven silk cloth; something glossy or woven”
Medieval Latin
ML
taffeta
“silk fabric”
Old Italian
It
taffeta
“taffeta, a fine silk cloth”
Old French
OF
taffetas
“fine silk fabric”
Middle English
EN
taffety
“a fine, crisp silk fabric”
Modern English
EN
taffeta
“a crisp, smooth silk or synthetic fabric”