Word of the Week – Sweater - Roseanna M. White

Is there “sweater weather” where you live? So far in West Virginia, we’ve had a couple cool days but quite a few surprisingly warm ones. Between that and surgery, there have been a few random moments where I honestly forget what season we’re moving into and have to stop and think about it, LOL.

But I am a fan of sweaters. Thin ones, thick ones, patterned ones, pull-over ones, cardigan style ones. Have you ever paused, though, to wonder at the origin of the sweater?

The English word dates from around 1520, but it did NOT describe an article of clothing. Instead, it was very literally “a person who sweats,” implying that they did manual labor. By the 1680s it was used for things that caused one to sweat, but still not with clothing in mind. In the early 1700s is took on a new meaning, “a street ruffian who uses intimidation and violence to bully,” presumably because such a person would make one sweat. Around 1840, we see “one who overworks and underpays his employees,” (think sweatshop).

So when, you ask, did our modern version of a sweater come into being? While knitted garments have existed for millenia, the term sweater for them didn’t come around until the 1880s! And it was at first meant as a knitted, woolen garment by athletes with the goal of promoting sweat and thereby decreasing weight.

It was in the 1920s that sweaters became fashionable for both men and women and began to be called such, especially in America. Other parts of the English-speaking world still refer to the American sweater as pull-overs, jumpers, and cardigans (none of which have earlier origins).

Are sweaters a mainstay in your wardrobe, or do you prefer other kinds of cozy clothing? I will choose a sweater over a sweatshirt nearly every time!