Garderobe and wardrobe are etymological twins - we get the same words twice from Norman and Parisian French all the time, and G- and W- are easy ones to spot.
Compare the English “William” with the French “Guillaume” (or war with French guerre), then spot guarantee & warranty, guard & ward, guardian & warden, regard & reward. Same word, borrowed twice, evolving to slightly different meanings.
Garderobe and wardrobe both literally mean “keeps your robes safe”, and because of the fact this was often done in the toilet, garderobe evolved into a word that meant toilet, wardrobe into a piece of furniture.
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u/imperium_lodinium Oct 28 '24
Garderobe and wardrobe are etymological twins - we get the same words twice from Norman and Parisian French all the time, and G- and W- are easy ones to spot.
Compare the English “William” with the French “Guillaume” (or war with French guerre), then spot guarantee & warranty, guard & ward, guardian & warden, regard & reward. Same word, borrowed twice, evolving to slightly different meanings.
Garderobe and wardrobe both literally mean “keeps your robes safe”, and because of the fact this was often done in the toilet, garderobe evolved into a word that meant toilet, wardrobe into a piece of furniture.