The word denim is an Americanization of the French name "serge de Nimes," a fabric which
originated in Nimes, France during the Middle Ages. In 1864, Webster's dictionary listed the
shortened English version: DENIM. 1
Italian sailors from Genoa wear cotton trousers and the French call Genoa and the people who
live there, "Genes." The name "jeans" was applied to the pants as well.
The word dungarees (usually plural) is one of the few mainstream English words to have come
from Hindi, one of the major languages of India. The source word in Hindi is dungrí, and refers to
a type of coarse cloth.
In English, dungaree is usually used to refer specifically to blue denim fabric, and in plural to refer
to clothes, especially trousers, made of such material.
Archaeologists found cotton fabric 5000 years old in west Pakistan. 2
48% of the world's trade in fabric is in cotton, from which denim is made. 2
At least 225 pair of denim jeans can be made from one bale of cotton. 2
Authentic blue denim takes its characteristic color from interweaving indigo (blue) and white
threads. The term "bull denim" refers to colored/dyed denim.
The orange thread traditionally used to sew Levi Strauss blue jeans was intentionally selected to
match the copper rivets that doubled the durability of the jeans. 3