2006-09-22 05:25:01 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
I went to Hampton Court Palace earlier this week and one of the historians were talking about trousers and why they are called a pair of trousers.
Apaprently according to this guy the reason is that centuries ago trousers used to come in two parts, one part for each leg and they were joined at the top.
Hence a pair of trousers and it has stayed this way ever since.
I have just found the following to back this up on wikipedia
Trousers also trace their ancestry to the individual hose worn by men in the 15th century (which is why trousers are plural and not singular).
2006-09-22 05:35:50 · answer #1 · answered by Steve C 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I find that older people tend to say trousers. Them and the Brits, that is. I would hazard to guess that trousers began as a Brit term. Pants is probably derived from the spanish "pantalones" which probably came from the Latin, since spanish is a latin romance language.
Also, funny you used the word daft! That is also very British. Are you British? LOL. Just curious.
2006-09-22 12:29:05 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My answer may seem equally daft but I'm just shooting in the dark here. I think we use to put one leg on at a time. That is to say, I do not believe that the earliest precusors to what we now know as pants had a crotch, waistband and a fly and all that awesome modern stuff on it more akin to leg warmers than one actual garment.
2006-09-22 12:36:41 · answer #3 · answered by tallblackchick 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes it seems daft but we have a pair of legs to put into them
2006-09-22 12:28:51 · answer #4 · answered by garyvie23 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree, It not like you can have one like a shoe is it..
My girlfriend calls a bra a pair of bras. The same logic but Ive never heard anyone say that before.
2006-09-22 12:29:07 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because it is ONE pair (one item that consist in 2 parts)
2006-09-22 12:33:17 · answer #6 · answered by Lil' Gay Monster 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't forget television set (when there is one) a pair of scissors (ever used a scis?) and waht about tweezers?
2006-09-22 12:57:40 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, so why isn't it called a pair of bras, coz I've got 2 boobs!
2006-09-22 12:31:40 · answer #8 · answered by siany warny 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cos they are for a pair of legs
2006-09-22 12:27:27 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the southern part of America, I hear a lot of people call their pants "britches."
2006-09-22 12:46:29 · answer #10 · answered by ironchain15 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋