Still hanging around

There is something infinitely satisfying about a word that, once dissected, denotes exactly what it is. The word wardrobe is one such example. We use it ubiquitously, but how often do we analyse archaic expressions? It is thought the word entered the English language in its original form in the 14th century and was derived from the French ‘warderobe’, with ‘warder’ translating to ‘guard’ and ‘robe’ as in clothing or garments.

The tall cupboard for hanging clothes that we are accustomed to, however, is not the original form of furniture traditionally used to store garments. Clothes were not traditionally hung but were folded and kept in ‘chests’ or ‘coffers’, often at the foot of a bed. Naturally, the nature of