Word of the Day
embrouder
Embrouder
Anglo-Norman French
English pronunciation/ɪmˈbrɔɪdəri/Anglo-Norman/ɛmˈbruːdər/
“Embroidery is painting with thread — the Bayeux Tapestry, the most famous piece of embroidery in the world, is not actually a tapestry.”
Embroidery enters English from Anglo-Norman embrouder, which combines en- (in, upon) with brouder or brosder (to embroider), from Frankish *bruzdon (to prick, to stitch). The word's Germanic root is about piercing — pushing a needle through fabric. The technique is simple in principle: thread is stitched onto a ground fabric to create patterns, pictures, or textures. The complexity is in the execution. A skilled embroiderer can produce photorealistic images in silk thread, and the best surviving examples are as detailed as any painting.
4 stops · from Frankish territories / France to St. Gallen, Switzerland