Bedspreads are generally made of either cotton or cotton and polyester together (blended). Then why are they called linen?
2006-06-25 02:16:53 · 6 answers · asked by Inquisitive 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
They used to be made specifically out of linen!
2006-06-25 02:23:46 · answer #1 · answered by fabee 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Linen, a fabric now considered "luxury," used to be the cotton of the world. It was a readily available cloth made from flax. You can read a little about linen-making here (http://www.ealdormere.sca.org/university/flaxspinning.shtml). You can compare it to cotton processing here (http://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Cotton.html). The thing is that until technology advanced, it was much easier to process the long fibers of flax than the relatively short cotton fibers. Things like cotton gins and steam engines started the shift, but people's language is slower to change. (I bet you have to know somebody that calls CDs "records-" sort of the same thing.)
Technically, bedsheets, bedspreads and the like are called "bed linens" - just linen used to mean underwear like shirts and chemises. This was shortened over time due to language shifts ,and now the labeling "Linens" is now being replaced by "Bedding" in most stores, probably to avoid confusion just like yours.
2006-06-25 09:40:05 · answer #2 · answered by Fed_UP_with_work. 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because before the invention of polyester and other man-made fabrics in the 1950, bedspreads were made from linen.
2006-06-25 09:20:39 · answer #3 · answered by dewcoons 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because, along with the other answers about historical usage, cotton doen't grow very well in the English climate.
2006-06-25 14:55:32 · answer #4 · answered by fata minerva 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think only white people use the word linen.
2006-06-25 09:20:58 · answer #5 · answered by smilingontime 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think only americans call it that. I'm originally British and I say sheets.Weird,huh?
2006-06-27 14:55:19 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋