haberdasher

Haberdasher appears in English by the fourteenth century, and its origin is a linguistic mystery. The most cited theory connects it to Anglo-Norman hapertas, a type of fabric — possibly a linen cloth from Guingamp in Brittany. Other theories propose connections to Old High German or to the name of a small goods merchant. None is proven. The word arrived in English with its tracks covered.

In fourteenth-century England, a haberdasher sold small goods — buttons, ribbons, pins, needles, thread, and small wares. The Haberdashers' Company, one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City of London, was chartered in 1448. Its members sold the small items that made clothing possible. A haberdasher was not a tailor (who made clothes) or a draper (who sold cloth) but the person who sold everything needed to connect cloth into clothing.

The word split along national lines in the nineteenth century. In Britain, a haberdasher continued to sell sewing supplies — buttons, needles, thread, ribbons. In America, a haberdasher became a seller of men's clothing and accessories — hats, ties, shirts. Harry Truman was famously a haberdasher in Kansas City before entering politics. The same word named different businesses depending on which country's customer walked through the door.

Haberdashery is declining in both senses. Sewing supplies are sold at chain craft stores, not haberdasheries. Men's clothing is sold at department stores and online retailers, not haberdashers. The word sounds quaint — a relic of a time when shopping meant visiting specialized merchants. The mystery of its origin may never be solved, because the trade it named is disappearing.