Marcella

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A feminine first name of Italian and Spanish origin ; a stiff, reversible cotton fabric with a raised quilted pattern, often used for waistcoats
2. A female personal name derived from the Roman name Marcellus ; a heavy cotton cloth woven in a raised, quilted design and used for vests
3. A given name given to women in Italian and Spanish speaking countries ; a textured, ribbed cotton textile with a raised pattern, used mainly in vests and waistcoats

Etymology: Marcella is a cotton fabric with a raised, woven pattern, typically in a honeycomb or diamond design, and its name is a shift from the French port city of Marseille. The city was once a major centre for the production of piqué, the stiff, ribbed or figured cloth that the name came to describe. Over time the place name was altered into the familiar female given name shape, so a word that began as a geographical reference to a southern French city now sounds like a personal name.