pants
/pænts/
noun
Origin
Italian
Pantalone — A character in commedia dell'arte who wore long trousers.
Overview
Meaning Now
- Undergarments worn next to the skin below the waist (British English).
- Trousers or slacks (North American English).
Literal older meaning
shortened form of pantaloons
Language path
Italian → French → English
Earliest form
Pantalone
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term is derived from 'Pantalone', a stock character in Italian commedia dell'arte known for wearing long, tight-fitting trousers. The word spread through French to English, eventually becoming a generic term for leg-covering garments.
Evolution
- 16th century
Pantalone
“Stock character name”
Name of a foolish Venetian merchant character.
- 17th century
pantaloons
“tight-fitting trousers”
Adopted into French as pantalon.
- 19th century
pants
“trousers”
Colloquial shortening first appeared in American English.
Connections
Word parts
pants
root
garment covering the legs
Related across languages
French
pantalon
trousers
Italian
pantalone
trousers
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.