2006-10-13 00:34:21 · 14 answers · asked by Steve 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
We've heard it's because pants and shorts have two legs. But shirts have two sleeves, and you don't have a "pair of shirts." Hmm, so much for that theory.
According to The Mavens' Word of the Day, pants in the plural form is an Americanism first recorded in 1840. The word is short for pantaloons, a term that originated with a character in Italian commedia dell'arte who wore both stockings and breeches.
World Wide Words states that these types of clothing (pants, underwear, shorts, tights -- or the equivalent terms for them) were made in two parts. One part for each leg, then belted in the middle, somewhat like chaps on cowboys. Over time, they ended up as one piece of clothing, but the habit of referring to the old "pair" persisted.
This reference isn't universal, however. The clothing industry often uses the singular form of pant, but not consistently. So pick your favorite, singular or plural -- you'll still put them on one leg at a time.
2006-10-13 00:37:57 · answer #1 · answered by leavemealonestalker 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A long time ago pants were just stockings; they weren't connected by a seat. So there was a left pant leg and a right pant leg held up by garters. Now there are seats that connect the legs, but the term "pair" had never been dropped.
Hope that helps.
2006-10-13 03:11:59 · answer #2 · answered by Big Blair 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Notice that all garments which start in the vicinity of the waist and continue down to enclose any part of the legs, no matter how slightly, are always termed a 'pair'.
Compare bikini, athletic supporter, breechcloth, brief, none of which extend to enclose the legs.
Pants, trousers, boxers, boxer shorts, shorts, pedalpushers, knee britches, etc.
A similar phenomenon is encountered which such items as pliers and scissors.
This quirk of English covers distinct items that have to be coordinated as a pair if they are to function.
2006-10-13 00:52:39 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, you could say you have a pant leg, so when you get two pant legs together, you have a pair. That is the only way I can rationalize that.
2006-10-13 02:24:21 · answer #4 · answered by Mujer Bonita 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Having looked in my dictionary and it's clearly marked as singular
Pantaloon, noun
An old kind of garment for males, consisting of breeches or stockings in one. Pl. a pair of trousers.
Trousers comes from the French word "trousses" literally meaning each leg trussed in fabric hence the plurality.
Soooo, it's incorrect to say "a pair of pants".
2006-10-14 23:12:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
you have a pair of pants coz you have a pair of legs to go in them!!!! and there are 2 legs of the pants........
its like saying why is there an "AN" in front of some words that do not have a vowel as the first letter?
2006-10-13 00:39:02 · answer #6 · answered by cas 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Michael Quinion in his World Wide Words site has provided a pretty comprehensive answer to exactly this question here.
In addition to articles of clothing which were traditionally made of two parts, there are a few tools made of two parts, the words for which behave in the same way. The following list is from A University Grammar of English (Quirk and Greenbaum):
bellows
binoculars
pincers
pliers
scales
scissors
shears
tongs
tweezers
glasses
spectacles
braces (BrE)
flannels
knickers
pants
pyjamas (BrE)
pajamas (AmE)
shorts
suspenders
tights
trousers
It seems to be an arbitrary rule applied to things which are made in two parts attached together.
2006-10-13 01:59:08 · answer #7 · answered by Doethineb 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
i know this, to shorten the answer as it would be a long one many years ago there used to be two parts to a pair of pants the top half and the bottom half which will still use today, the top half used top clip onto the bottom half, thats why it was called a pair of pants, but they stop using the top half and just used the bottom half but a pair of pants stuck and thats why we still call it a pair of pants today
2006-10-13 01:40:49 · answer #8 · answered by stevie b 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A "pair" means "two", so you would say
- I have a pair of socks
- a pair of gloves
- a pair of earrings
The exceptions to the rule. For example, pants have two legs, so today people commonly refer to "a pair of pants." Technically wrong but is commonly used, so we should conform and use the term also.
Other example of these exceptions are:
- pair of glasses (two lenses)
- pair of scissors (two blades)
2006-10-13 00:48:48 · answer #9 · answered by SassyGurl 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe because they have a pair of holes in them.
2006-10-13 00:38:06 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋