Sashes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A decorative ribbon or strip typically worn around the waist for style or function; elongated fabric pieces employed to secure clothing or enhance appearance; official insignia representing status in events or organizations can also be included in this term
2. A long strip of fabric often worn as a belt or tied around the waist for decorative or functional purposes; slender pieces of material used to fasten clothing or create visual appeal in outfits; ceremonial ribbons that signify rank or membership during events or formal occasions can also be referred to as this term
3. A long piece of cloth used for decorative purposes or to hold garments in place on the body

Etymology: The word "sashes" is simply the plural of "sash," and the singular has a surprising double life. The fabric sense comes from Arabic "šāš," a term for a fine muslin cloth, which traveled into European languages and gave English a word for a length of material wrapped around the waist. The window sense is a different story entirely: it arrived through French "châssis," meaning a frame, and the two words were tangled together over time. The window frame is where the twist happens. English speakers appear to have reshaped French "châssis" through metathesis, a rearrangement of sounds, into a form that looked like "sashes." Because that form ended in "-es," it was heard as a plural, and by the late 17th century the extra "-s" had been trimmed away, leaving "sash" as a singular noun for the frame that holds a window's glass. The lesson is that a word can be reanalyzed backward, with its plural ending mistaken for part of its root, and the singular is then built from the misheard form.

Synonyms: bands, straps, belts, ribbons, cords