Etymology: Of uncertain etymology. Apparently first recorded in English, whence the continental forms were probably adopted: French flanelle (late 17th cent.), Italian frannella, frenella, fiannella, Spanish flanela, franela, Portuguese farinella (? influenced by farinha flour), German flanell (1715), Dutch flanel, flenel. As flannel was already in 16th cent. a well-known production of Wales, a Welsh origin for the word seems antecedently likely. Some scholars have conjectured that the form flannen is the original, and is a corruption of Welsh gwlanen ‘a flannel’ (O. Pughe), < gwlân wool (= Irish olann < Old Celtic *ulanā < older *wlanā). This is plausible, but involves some difficulties: the Welsh word is not originally a name for the material, but (as is indicated by its formation with the individualizing suffix -en) means literally an article or piece of material made of wool; and the assumed change of flannen into flannel is perhaps less explicable than would be the contrary change, which might be ascribed to the analogy of linen, woollen. Another suggestion is that the word is an Anglo-Norman diminutive of Old French flaine blanket or coverlet.

Etymology: < flannel n.