When it starts to rain the umbrella becomes an indispensable companion. But have you ever wondered why this object, which we use to protect ourselves from the rain, doesn’t have a name that explicitly refers to this meteorological phenomenon, for example “drizzle“? The answer lies in the history of the object, which has ancient roots and a very different origin from what might seem obvious today. It was in fact initially invented as a means for the wealthy classes (particularly for women) to cover themselves from the light of sun and therefore become “shadow” (hence its name, derived from Latin Umbrian).
The origins of the term “umbrella”
The word umbrella comes from the Latin “Umbrian“, what does it mean “shadow”. Originally, the umbrella was used not to shelter from the rain, but from sun. The first to use it were the Assyrians, the Persians, the ancient Egyptians, who used large feather parasols fixed on royal chariots. In the same way, the Greeks and Romans used them, always worn by slaves, to protect themselves from the sun’s rays, as a luxury object, especially among the noble classes. These were prized not only for their functionality, but also for their beauty and decoration.
During the Renaissance and in the following centuries, the umbrella remained predominantly a luxury instrument intended to protect ladies from the excesses of the sun. Only in the modern era, starting from 17th centurybegan to be used as a rain protection tool, especially in Europe.
The change of the umbrella’s function: from shade to rain
It was in 18th centurythanks to English Jonas Hanwaythat the umbrella began to be commonly used even in the rain. Before him, the umbrella was mainly considered one female instrumentuseful for maintaining the pale skin and without a tan (hence probably also the rumor that the nobles had blue blood). Hanway, publicly using the umbrella a London during rainy days, it contributed to the spread of this accessory among men and, in general, as protection against bad weather.
The structure of the umbrella progressively adapted to the needs of the humid climate of cities such as London. THE materials they became waterproofallowing the umbrella to become our modern shield against the rain. However, despite the change in its main function, the name remained the same, retaining the reference to its original function as a parasol.
Why hasn’t the name changed?
You might wonder why the umbrella’s name hasn’t changed with its new function. The answer lies partly in natural linguistic evolutionwhich tends to maintain the original terms even when the context changes. The word “umbrella” continued to be used because in the Italian language (and other languages) there was no cultural or linguistic pressure to change the name to “pioggerello” or something similar. Likewise, many words retain historical meanings even when their practical function changes: the term “telephone“, for example, comes from a Greek word meaning “distant voice,” although today we use telephones for many other functions besides voice.
The umbrella in London culture
The umbrella is also intimately linked to the history of London. The British capital, which we all immediately associate with an always humid and rainy climate, was one of the key places where the umbrella became an indispensable tool for dealing with daily bad weather. London not only welcomed it as protection from the rain, but also made it a stylish accessorysymbol of the English gentleman. London brands like James Smith & Sons, one of the oldest umbrella manufacturers in the world, have contributed to the popularity and evolution of this accessory. Thus, London became a point of reference for the use and production of umbrellas, not only for their practicality but also for their aesthetic and cultural value.