Q I have always wondered why members of the clergy are called “men of the cloth.” – A. R., Birmingham, Ala.

A: The answer to your question lies in the history of the word “cloth” itself. The original meaning of the word is the one which we usually associate with it, namely, “material used to make clothing.”

Around 1175, “cloth” took on the additional meaning of “clothing” or “dress,” and by 1300 it came to designate a single garment or robe.

Nearly 300 years later, the word “cloth” acquired the even more specialized sense denoting the distinctive clothing worn by servants or by members of the same profession, in other words, a uniform. One of the professions about which the term was used was the clergy.

Around 1608, a writer warned of the dangers of indifference among God’s servants: “Many wear God’s cloth, that know not their master, that never did good chare (work) in his service.”

By 1634, the word “cloth” had acquired the transferred meaning in which it denotes one’s profession, especially the profession of clergyman, because of the strong association between a clergyman and his clothing. Eventually, “cloth” took on the still current meaning of “clergy.” It is this last sense that comes to mind when we hear the phrase “man of the cloth.”

Q I am interested in the origin of the word “brassiere.” – B.W., Rome, Ga.

A: The word “brassiere” has its roots in Latin, even if those roots are a bit distant. Its most immediate ancestor is the French term “brassiere,” which once meant “bodice” (a meaning that has since become obsolete). “Brassiere” in turn comes from the Old French word “braciere,” meaning “arm protector,” which derived from Old French “bras,” meaning “arm.” That’s where Latin comes into the picture: “bras” comes from “bracchium,” the Latin word for “arm.”

Both the word “brassiere” and the garment it describes are a relatively recent addition to our culture: the brassiere was invented in Paris c. 1912, which is roughly when the word “brassiere” was borrowed into English.

This column was prepared by the editors of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition. Readers may send questions to Merriam-Webster’s Wordwatch, P.O. Box 281, 47 Federal St., Springfield, MA 01102.