I was just thinking about it tonight. Why do we call them a pair of pants? Why don't we just call it a pant. A shirt is a shirt, right? Why don't we just call it a pant? "I have a pant and a shirt to wear to the show." We don't have a pair of shirts to wear, unless of course we are wearing more than one shirt. We always talk about pants in the plural form. "Where are your pants?" We never say, "Where is your pant?" In contrast we never say, "Where are your shirts?", if someone is not wearing a shirt. I know it's probably because it has two legs but a shirt you put two arms through and we don't call it shirts. But we always call them pants, plural. I'm confused. We call underwear, underwear but we also say a pair of underwear as well. A pair of socks is obviously a pair of socks because there are two of them. Why is it that whatever we put on our legs, even if it is only one thing, is called a pair of something? Why don't I say, "hey Lucas why don't you throw your pair of jackets on before you go outside?" It's cold? Anyone want to help me out?!?
Other examples:
Pair of panty hose
Pair of slacks
A skirt is a skirt, even though women put two legs through them too.
A kilt is a kilt.
Knickers aren't a pair of knickers but they are pluralized.
I think we should either call shirts a pair of shirts or we should call pants a pant. We need to make a law. Seinfeld should have done an episode on this.
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5 years ago
You asked ----
"Most often words of one syllable have Anglo-Saxon roots but occasionally one slips into English from the classics. One such is the word pants. Everyone knows the meaning of this word so why do I offer it to you here? It travelled a very interesting route to find its way to mean trousers or slacks.
William Safire cleverly explained this route in a N Y Times article in the Sunday Magazine section. I regret I do not have the date it was published.
In his article he explains that a Christian doctor was condemned to death by the Romans in the 3rd century for aiding the poor. He was to be beheaded but survived the six attempts to take his life. Later the Church canonized him, giving him the name "Saint Pantaleone". "Pan" is Greek for "all' and "leo" is the Latin word for "lion". He was given this title to recognize his strength and courage. In time he became the patron saint of physicians. Looking for such courage and strength in their sons, numerous boys were christened with his name.
Where did "pants" come into this picture? In ca. 800, in comic drama according to Robert Hendrickson in his book " Facts on File, An Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins", the fool in a comic production was called panteleon...all lion. In time this changed to "pantaloon". The actor was dressed in breeches that were tight below the knee but which bloused out in a full puffy fashion from the waist to the knee.
In the 18th century the costume became one worn by many men. This famous portrait found in the Louvre shows Louis XIV in a full pose, showing off his legs in a ''pantaloon'' costume. The term was shortened to "pants" in the 1840s. The term pantaloons continued to be used when referring to the undergarment worn by women under hoop skirts in the same period."
reference... http://www.dl.ket.org/latin3/vocab/etym/history/pants.htm
Sometimes the English language is just weird. I'm going to speak a new language - maybe I'll make one up. First change will be the word "pants".
If it helps any in Africanas it is called Pant.
Don't just stop at pant/pants, there is a whole lot of other things that don't make sense like
why do they call them buildings when they are all ready bulit and why do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway? And one final thing when you wake up in the morning to put your underware and or pant/pants on does it mess you up to see 3 holes and only 2 legs?
A pair a noia is a bunch of mental blocks and when Dr Phil meets Doc Holiday they call it a Paradox and when you fall in love with all your heart and soul you "pant" and "Pant" once more and that's a pair of Pants!
Sheldon
Oh by the way Dr Pink. Did you know the tooth brush was invented in Arkansas? Just common sense. If it had been invented anywhere else it would have been a Teeth brush.
speaking of kilts... will you be wearing your pair of kilts to church tomorrow?