Quote Originally Posted by sydnie7 View Post
Phrases along the lines of "unlike traditional tartans which are made of a linen-wool blend, this one is all wool to avoid violating the law of shatnez" have me, and other posters, wondering. Thought traditional kilting tartan was 100% wool?
The most frequently cited etymology of the word "tartan" has it coming from the French tiretaine or tertaine, which referred to a rough linsey-woolsey cloth. However, I am not aware of any account of historical Highland dress which refers to the plaid or the kilt being made of anything except pure wool. If the etymology is correct, at some point the meaning was transferred from the type of cloth to the woven pattern it contained, but when, where, and how the change occurred is unknown to me. I believe it's safe to say it occurred sometime between 1500 and 1800 in the Scottish Lowlands.