Grammar Girl: For Writers and Language Lovers. Denim: Secret place names hiding in plain sight. Why the principal is more than your pal.
Mar 31, 2026
A playful tour of toponyms reveals hidden place names behind denim, jeans, sherry, cantaloupe and more. The episode also untangles principal versus principle with a simple memory trick for spelling and job-title usage. Expect language history, surprising false place-name stories, and a quick familect anecdote about sampling food.
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Everyday Words Hide Place Origins
- Toponyms are place names that become common nouns, like denim from Serge de Nîmes.
- These “secret toponyms” often hide origins in trade, travel, and language shifts, revealing unexpected geographic roots for everyday words.
Clothing Vocabulary Maps To Cities
- Many fabrics and clothing names are toponyms: jeans from Genoa, duffel from Duffel, jersey from the Isle of Jersey.
- These names trace the production or trade centers where the textiles originated or were exported.
Food Names Reveal Global Trade Routes
- Foods and drinks also preserve place names: sherry from Jerez, cantaloupe from Cantalupo, tangerine from Tangier.
- Some names evolved through anglicization and historical trade, altering original forms dramatically.