Figure 1.--The British commonly refer to a pull-over sweater as a jumper. The term sweater is understood, but jumper more commonly used.
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Figure 1.--The British commonly refer to a pull-over sweater as a jumper. The term sweater is understood, but jumper more commonly used. |
Sweater and jumper can used interchangably, but they can mean quite different things. Other terms such as pullovers and sweatshirts create further complications. The difference is significant between American and British English. I'm not sure about other English speaking countries. In particular I am unsure about usdage in the dominions. While some of the uses of jumper are shared meanings in both America and Britain, the use of the term being a sweater appears to be destinctly British. The word jumper began to be used about 1850-55, presumably in Britain. The origin, however is uncertain. We are ost familiar with the meaning in America. Hopefully our British readers will provide an update on current usage.
A cardign is a long-sleeve, buttonup sweater. Some schools used cardigans as a school uniform sweater for girls. As far as I know it was only used a a girl's school uniform garment. I have never noted a cardigan as part of a boy's school uniform. I think the Britsh would use the term sweater here rather than jumper. A British readr tells us, "Girls at school wore cardigans, the knitted woollen Cardigan jacket
with buttons down the front (though the more lazy girls treated them as pullovers). The cardigan sweater was not a specically girl's style. The school uniform cardigan for girls became so stndard that you rarely saw boys wearing them to school, even at non-uniform schools. Interestingly, in America the standard style for a letter-man's sweater (athletic award) became a cardigan, albeit a heavt knit.
While jumper was by far the most widely used term for a pullover, another term used for pullover was "jersey". This was normally, however, a non-school pullover. Jersey is one of the Channel Islands. It was especially known for the wool produced there and the knitted gaments made there. This reputation developed in the medieval era. Jersey was so well known that the term was used for knitted fabric in general. Presumably a grment could command a better price if it was sold as a product from jersey. Knitted garments like sweaters, including pullovers, might be called jerseys. In America shirts for sports teams are called jerseys, but I have never hears that usage in Britain.
The term jumper has a wide variety of meanings. I gather the term "jumper" is presumably derived from the "jump" a female underbodice.
The precise meaning can usually be derived from the context of the sentence. Americans use jumper to mean a sleevless dress or skirt with straps and bib front or an open-sided bodice. I think this term may also be used in Britain, but I am unsure how commonly. Gymslips are referred to as jumpers in America. Again I am not sure if this is also the case in Britain. A jumper can also mean a loose outer jacket worn by workers and sailors. Americans unless they have traveled to Britain may not understand the term jumper being used to mean sweater. In Britain, however, jumper is commonly used to mean sweater--specifically a pullover sweater. Thus the terms are not interchangeable. Not all sweaters are jumpers, only the pullovers. Of course most English school sweaters are pullovers. The term is thus commonly used when describing school uniform sweaters. I think sweater may be becoming more commonly used in modern Britain, but this needs to be confirmed by our British readers. One related trend is that sweaters are now less commonly worn at British schools. One factor may be that modern schools are better heated. Another factor is that sweaters have being relaced by sweatshirts at a very large number of schools. Here I think that the prive of wool sweaters was a major factor.
Pullover is a type of sweater that you pull on over your head as there are no front buttons. British boys school sweaters were almost always pullovers. We notice various styles, but they are all pullovers. I am not sure why pullovers became the standard style. Perhaps they are warmer or less expensive. Here I am just not sure. While mostly used to describe sweaters, we note that some dictionaries classify sweatershirts as pullovers.
Sweater is a universally recognized English language word, meaning a wool or synthetic knitted jacket or jersey in either button (Cardigan) or pullover style. In recent years we see more sweaters made in cotton, but formerly wool was almost universal. They are made in both sleeved and sleeveless versions as well as many pullovers and butto-up. We note many different styles (cardigan, crew neck, raglan, ski, turtle neck, V-neck, ect. The word is commonly used in America, but fully understood in Britain. I have heard jumper used more often in Britain, but sweater is understood. Of cource when the British say jumper referring to a school sweater, they are referring to a pull-over sweater.
Another complication is the discussing the terminology concerning sweaters and jumoers is the appearrance of sweatshirts at English schools during the 1990s. The origin of the sweatshirt is American. It was a garment used in athletics. It had a kind of a cotton fleece lining to absorb the sweat involved in strenous workouts. Sweatshirts are of course pullovers. I am not sure, however, if they are called pullovers. British school pullovers are also commonly callefd jumpers. I an not sure if sweatshirts are evere referred to as jumpers. Language is fluid. Our reader adds, "I looked up a definition for sweatshirt - 'A usually long-sleeved, collarless, oversize pullover made traditionally of heavy cotton jersey that has a fleeced backing.' So they say "pullover" but we would never call a sweatshirt a jumper which is always wool/wool-type material not cotton." Here I am not sure. I see a lot of cotton or blended acrylic fiber sweaters in America. I'm not sure about Britain. One reader tells us that a lot of inexpensive school sweaters/jumpers are made with blended acrylic fabric rather than wool. Sweatshirts became very popular at Britidsh schools during the 1990s.
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