Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 June 1904 — The Origin of the Umbrella. [ARTICLE]

The Origin of the Umbrella.

Our name for the umbrella, being obviously taken from the Italian otnbrello, naturally refers us to Italy as the source from which we have derived that useful article. If we bad obtained it intermediately from France we would doubtless have taken with it the name of parapluie, which in the present use of the implement Is a more expressive and proper name than that of ombrello, which signifies a “little shade” and refers to the original use hs a defense against the sun rather than t» its present use as a shelter from the rr in. There se< .us to be no doubt that the umbrella - as first Introduced Into Italy frm.i the east and from thence found Its way into Europe. It seems also that the applicability of the instrument aa a defense from rain waa quite SB afterthought and that it was originally, as In the east, only used to protect the person from the rays of the son.—Peanon’a Weekly.