Word of the Week: April 16, 2001
White Blankets

You know what? The Oxford English Dictionary says that there are some people who think that there was a man named Thomas Blanket who gave his name to blankets. But they think that he must have taken his name from blankets and not vice versa. That blanket you wrap around yourself when you watch TV in your family room--you might think it is red, or maybe you think it is green, but all blankets really ought to be white.

Blanket comes from French blanquete, which is from blanc, meaning "white." Undyed wool is white, and the word was first applied to blankets made of undyed wool. Evidently, the word lost its color associations and became a "blanket" term for all such pieces of fabric used as bed or body coverings. So you're just being slightly contradictory when you wrap up in your colored blanket.

Words of the Week are written by Dr. Jacques A. Bailly.