Cambric

Cambric
Statue in Cambrai of Baptiste Chambray, the improbable inventor of the eponymous fabrics, batiste and chambray.
Charvet corsage in pink cambric (1898).

Cambric, pronounced /ˈkæmbrɪk/, "one of the finest and most dense species of the cloth manufacture",[1] is a lightweight plain weave cloth, originally from Cambrai, woven in greige, then bleached and piece-dyed, often glazed or calendered. Initially made from flax, then cotton in the 19th century, it is also called batiste. Cambric is used for linens, shirtings, handkerchieves and as fabric for lace and needlework.[2]

Contents

History

Cambric was originally a kind of fine white plain-weave linen cloth made at or near Cambrai.[3] The word comes from Kameryk or Kamerijk, the Flemish name of Cambrai, [3] The word is attested since 1530.[3] which became part of France in 1677. It is a synonym of the French word batiste,[3] itself attested since 1590,[4]. Batiste itself comes from the Picard batiche, attested since 1401, derivation (linguistics)|derived from the old French battre for bowing wool. The modern form batiste or baptiste comes from a popular merge with the surname Baptiste, pronouced Batisse, as indicated by the use of the expressions thoile batiche (1499) and toile de baptiste (1536) for the same fabric.[4] The alleged[5] invention of the fabric, around 1300, by a weaver called Baptiste or Jean-Baptiste Cambray or Chambray (see Photo right), from the village of Castaing in the peerage of Marcoing, near Cambrai, has no historic ground.[4][6][7][8] Cambric was a finer quality and more expensive[9] than lawn (from the French laune, initially a plain-weave linen fabric from the city of Laon in France[10]). Denoting a geographic origin from the city of Cambrai or its surroundings (Cambresis in French), cambric is an exact equivalent[11] of the French cambrésine (/kɑ̃.bʁe.zin/)[3], a very fine, almost sheer white linen plain-weave fabric,[12], to be distinguished[13] from cambrasine, a fabric comparable to the French lawn despite its foreign origin.[14] Cambric is also close to chambray (/ˈʃɒmbreɪ/ from a French regional variant of Cambrai,[3] and to chambray (/ˈʃɒmbreɪ/, from a French regional variant of Cambrai,[3] a name which "also comes from Cambrai, the French city, where the material was originally made of linen yarn".[15] Chambray (also spelled chambrai) appears in North American English in the early 19th century.[3] Though the term generally refers to a cotton plain weave with a colored warp and a white weft, close to gingham, "silk chambray" seems to have coexisted.[16] Chambray was often produced during this period by the same weavers producing gingham.[17]

White linen cambric or batiste from Cambrai, noted for its weight and luster,[18] was "preferred for ecclesiastical wear, fine shirts, underwear, shirt frills, cravats, collars and cuffs, handkerchiefs, and infant wear".[19] Technical use sometime introduced a difference between cambric and batiste, the latter being of a lighter weight and a finer thread count. Chambray, though the same type of fabric, had a coloured warp and a white weft, though it could be "made from any colour as you may wish, in the warp, and also in the filling; only have them differ from each other.[20]

In the 18th century, after the prohibition of imports in England of French cambrics,[21] with the development of the import of Indian cotton fabrics, similar[2] cotton fabrics, such as nainsook, from the Hindi nainsukh (eyes delight),[3] became popular. These fabrics, initially called Scotch cambrics to distinguish them from the original French cambrics,[22] came to be referred to as cotton cambrics or batistes.[19] Some authors increased the confusion with the assumption the word batiste could come from the Indian fabric bastas.[23]

In the 19th century, the terms cambric and batiste gradually lost their association with linen, implying only different kind of fine plain-weave fabrics with a glossy finish.[24][25] In 1907, a fine cotton batist had 100 ends per inch in the finished fabric, while a cheap-grade, less than 60.[26]

In the 19th century, with the development of the interest for colour shirts, cambric was also woven in colours, such as the pink fabric used by Charvet for a corsage (See Figure right), reducing the diffrence between cambric and chambray. Moreover, the development and rationalization of mechanical weaving led to the replacement, for chambray, of coloured warp anf white weft by the opposite, whita warp and coloured weft, which allowed for longer warps.[27]

See also

References

  1. ^ Sir David Brewster (1814). Second American edition of the new Edinburgh encyclopædia. Published by Samuel Whiting and John L. Tiffany [and others]. pp. 189–190. http://books.google.com/books?id=RwsoAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA189. Retrieved 11 October 2011. 
  2. ^ a b Elisabeth Hardouin-Fugier; Bernard Berthod; Martine Chavent-Fusaro (1994) (in French). Les étoffes: dictionnaire historique. Editions de l'amateur. p. 120. http://books.google.com/books?id=7I_WAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 10 October 2011. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Oxford English Dictionary
  4. ^ a b c (in French) Le Robert: Dictionnaire historique de la langue française. 1. Dictionnaires Le Robert. 2000. p. 352. ISBN 2-85036-532-7. 
  5. ^ (in French) Archives historiques et littéraires du nord de la France, et du midi de la Belgique. Au Bureau des Archives.. 1829. pp. 341–. http://books.google.com/books?id=7c0GAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA341. Retrieved 9 October 2011. 
  6. ^ France. Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques. Section d'histoire et de philologie (1898) (in French). Bulletin historique et philologique du Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques. Impr. nationale. http://books.google.com/books?id=Y2Q9AAAAYAAJ. Retrieved 9 October 2011. "Pas plus une réalité historique que l'étymologique brasseur Cambrinus." 
  7. ^ Société d'émulation de Cambrai (1859) (in French). Séance publique [afterw. Mémoires]. pp. 1–. http://books.google.com/books?id=3MsEAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA1-PA69. Retrieved 9 October 2011. "On ignore complètement le siècle où a vécu Jean-Baptiste Cambrai." 
  8. ^ Max Pfister (1980) (in German). Einführung in die romanische Etymologie. Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, [Abt. Verl.]. ISBN 978-3-534-07834-9. http://books.google.com/books?id=0wsaAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 9 October 2011. "Obschon Cambrai fûr die mittelalterliche Leinenindustrie bekannt ist und Baptiste sogar mit einem Denkmal geehrt wurde, dürfte dieser Fabrikant historisch nicht nachweisbar sein, da batiste etymologisch auf battre zurück geht." 
  9. ^ Belfast Literary Society (1808). Select papers. p. 32. http://books.google.com/books?id=3f8AAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA31. Retrieved 11 October 2011. "Cloth of this fabrick, lower than 5s. per yard, is called Lawn, above 5s., Cambrick." 
  10. ^ Société des amis de la Romania (1900). Romania. 29. Société des amis de la Romania. p. 182. http://books.google.com/books?id=55iPPxxZLMwC. Retrieved 11 October 2011. 
  11. ^ (in French) Revue de l'enseignement des langues vivantes. 1902. p. 304. http://books.google.com/books?id=1dEaAQAAMAAJ. Retrieved 11 October 2011. 
  12. ^ Bernardini, Michele (2004). "The Illustrations of a Manuscript of the Travel Account of François de la Boullaye le Gouz in the Library of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in Rome". Muqarnas 21: 64. "Elle a une pièce de cambrésine sur son corps tellement fine que l'on voit à travers." 
  13. ^ Académie française (1836) (in French). Dictionnaire de l'Académie française. Firmin Didot frères. p. 135. http://books.google.com/books?id=2XlXry4HAGgC&pg=PA135. Retrieved 11 October 2011. 
  14. ^ Guillaumin (Gilbert-Urbain, M.) (1839) (in French). Dictionnaire universel théorique et practique du commerce et de la navigation. Guillaumin et Cie. p. 493. http://books.google.com/books?id=C4FQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA493. Retrieved 11 October 2011. "On a donné ce nom à des toiles fines d'Egypte, à cause de leur ressemblance avec la toile de Cambrai. Il y a aussi des cambrasines, que l'on tire de Smyrne; elles sont de deux sortes : celles qui viennent de la Perse, et celles apportées de la Mecque. Les premières conservent la dénomination de cambrasinbes; les secondes se nomment mamoudis." 
  15. ^ Eliza Bailey Thompson (1917). The cotton and linen departments. Ronald press company. p. 63. http://books.google.com/books?id=8TEwAAAAYAAJ. Retrieved 9 October 2011. 
  16. ^ Bassett, Lynne Z. (2001). Textiles for Regency clothing 1800-1850: a workbook of swatches and information. Q Graphics Production Co.. p. 28. http://books.google.com/books?ei=SXmVTueIK9D88QOt4eCqCw&ct=result&id=mupJAAAAYAAJ&dq=chambrai. Retrieved October 11, 2011. 
  17. ^ Fowler Mohanty, Gail (Summer 1989). "Putting up with Putting-Out: Power-Loom Diffusion and Outwork for Rhode Island Mills, 1821-1829". Journal of the Early Republic 9: pp. 204, 206, 214. 
  18. ^ Savary des Bruslons, Jacques (1741) (in French). Dictionnaire universel de commerce. 1. Paris: Vve Estienne. p. 902. http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k1117365/f757.image.r=savary+dictionnaire+de+commerce.langFR. "Sorte de toile de lin, très fine, & très blanche" 
  19. ^ a b Greene, Susan W. (2005). Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. 1. Charles Scribner's sons. p. 217. 
  20. ^ Bronson, J. and R. (1977) [First published in 1817]. Early American Weaving and Dyeing: The Domestic Manufacturer's Assistant and Family Directory in the Arts of Weaving and Dyeing. New York: Dover Publications. p. 21. 
  21. ^ The Gentleman's magazine. F. Jefferies. 1759. pp. 241–. http://books.google.com/books?id=W0gDAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA241. Retrieved 10 October 2011. 
  22. ^ Official descriptive and illustrated catalogue: Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations, 1851. By Authority of the Royal Commission. In 3 volumes. Spicer Brothers. 1851. p. 516. http://books.google.com/books?id=qb1AAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA516. Retrieved 11 October 2011. 
  23. ^ George Ripley; Charles Anderson Dana (1859). The new American cyclopaedia: a popular dictionary of general knowledge. D. Appleton and Co.. pp. 738–. http://books.google.com/books?id=Ub1PAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA738. Retrieved 9 October 2011. 
  24. ^ Denny, Grace Goldena (1923). Fabrics and How to Know Them. Lippincott. OCLC 2231068. "In this century, [nainsook] is described as a soft-finished white cotton fabric with a polish on one side ... not so closely woven as cambric but heavier than batiste." 
  25. ^ Philippine magazine. 1922. p. 382. http://books.google.com/books?id=WGkVAAAAIAAJ. Retrieved 9 October 2011. "Cambric is a fine calendered cotton or linen cloth of plain weave characterised by the smooth glossy surface." 
  26. ^ Frank P. Bennett & Co (1914). A cotton fabrics glossary. Frank P. Bennett & co., inc.. p. 125. http://books.google.com/books?id=QSluAAAAIAAJ. Retrieved 12 October 2011. 
  27. ^ David Page Coffin (1 October 1998). Shirtmaking: developing skills for fine sewing. Taunton Press. pp. 7–. ISBN 978-1-56158-264-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=9H06BYNzm5sC&pg=PA7. Retrieved 9 October 2011. 

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • cambric — cam bric (k[a^]m br[i^]k), n. [OE. camerike, fr. Cambrai (Flemish Kamerik), a city of France (formerly of Flanders), where it was first made.] 1. A fine, thin, and white fabric made of flax or linen. [1913 Webster] He hath ribbons of all the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cambric — (engl., spr. kehm ), s.v.w. Kammertuch (s.d.) …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • cambric — late 14c., from Kamerijk, Flemish form of Cambrai, city in northern France where the cloth was originally made, from L. Camaracum. The modern form of the English word has elements from both versions of the name …   Etymology dictionary

  • cambric — meaning a fine white linen, is pronounced kam brik, or sometimes kaym brik …   Modern English usage

  • cambric — ► NOUN ▪ a lightweight, closely woven white linen or cotton fabric. ORIGIN named after the town of Cambrai in northern France; compare with CHAMBRAY(Cf. ↑chambray) …   English terms dictionary

  • cambric — [kām′brik] n. [after Kamerÿk, Fl name of Cambrai, city in N France, where orig. made < L Camaracum] 1. a very fine, thin linen 2. a cotton cloth that is like this …   English World dictionary

  • cambric — /kaym brik/, n. a thin, plain cotton or linen fabric of fine close weave, usually white. [1520 30; earlier cameryk, after Kameryk, D name of CAMBRAI] * * * ▪ textile       lightweight, closely woven, plain cotton cloth first made in Cambrai,… …   Universalium

  • cambric — noun A finely woven fabric made originally from linen but often now from cotton. Scotch cambric, now largely manufactured, is a kind of imitation cambric, made from fine hard twisted cotton. Syn: batiste …   Wiktionary

  • cambric — noun Etymology: Dutch Kamerijk Cambrai, France Date: 1530 1. a fine thin white linen fabric 2. a cotton fabric that resembles cambric …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • cambric muslin — cambric cam bric (k[a^]m br[i^]k), n. [OE. camerike, fr. Cambrai (Flemish Kamerik), a city of France (formerly of Flanders), where it was first made.] 1. A fine, thin, and white fabric made of flax or linen. [1913 Webster] He hath ribbons of all… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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