Did you know that neckties or, originally, cravates were probably used to prevent clothes from getting dirty? Initially just a plain strip of material, they were used by Croatian mercenaries supporting Louis XIII of France against the Duc de Guise and the Queen Mother, Marie de Medici. The military kit that the Croatians were using during that time was an inspiration for curious Parisians to start using them as a fashion accassories. The word itself, cravat, comes from the misspelt word Croat (originally Hr̀vāt in Croatian).
 |
| Cravat-tying illustrations fragment (by G. Cruikshank) from "Neckclothitania or Tietania, being an essay on Starchers, by One of the Cloth" (published by J.J.Stockdale, Sept. 1st. 1818). |
The English equivalent of cravat, necktie, also has an interesting history. Breaking the word in two, let's look at the parts we have - neck and tie. The true origin of the "neck" word is unknown, yet it is assumed that it may come from Proto-Indo-European word knok meaning "high point" or "ridge". The traces of the word can be also found in Old Irish cnocc, Welsh cnwch and Old Bretonian cnoch meaning "hill".
Digging into the history of the second word, tie, you'll find that it may come from Old Norse tygill, meaning "string" or Old English teon, meaning "to draw, pull, drag;"
The usage of word necktie in the sense we use it today was first recorded in 1761.
But what happened later? Click the button to read after the fold.
