Sandals

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A style of lightweight footwear with a flat sole that is affixed to the foot through straps or similar fasteners
2. A casual form of open footwear characterized by a sole and straps, ideal for warm climates and leisurely activities
3. Footwear consisting of a flat sole attached to the foot by straps that leave most of the foot exposed

Etymology: Ancient Greek had a word "sándalon" for footwear, and its origin is unknown. Its diminutive "sandálion" gave Latin "sandalium," which passed through Old French "sandale" into Middle English. Despite the modern habit of linking it to sand, that connection is a mistaken guess; nobody has shown the word is related to sand. The same spelling also names a fragrant wood. That word travelled a much longer route: from Sanskrit "candana," through Middle Persian and Arabic "ṣandal," then into Medieval Greek and Medieval Latin, where it referred to sandalwood. The two words are therefore unrelated in origin, but they converged in English spelling. The footwear sense came from the Latin and Greek line, while the wood sense is a separate borrowing from the Arabic-speaking world. Arabic "ṣandal" also turned out to be the source of a boat name. Arabic speakers applied the word to a vessel shaped like the shoe, which is how the same root came to name a kind of ship as well as a kind of footwear.

Synonyms: flip-flops, slides