What do muslin, cashmere, denim, damask, calico, suede, and satin have in common aside from the fact that all are kinds of fabric? They were all named after places!
The cotton cloth called muslin was named after the city of Mosul, Iraq, where it was made.
Cashmere is named after the region of India called Kashmir, because it is made from the wool of goats that live in Kashmir.
The word denim comes from the French expression de Nimes, “from Nimes”, because the fabric was once made in that French city.
The fabric known as damask was named after the Syrian city of Damascus, and calico comes from Calicut, a city in India where the fabric was first obtained.
The soft tanned leather known as suede got its name from the French name for Sweden, Suede, because Swedish gloves were made from suede.
And the smooth, glossy fabric known as satin was named after Laitun, the former name of the Chinese city of Chuanchou, where it was originally made.
