What does falbala mean?
Falbala is an archaic English noun for a kind of scarf or neckerchief, especially one decorated with tassels and worn by women. The word gives historical descriptions of clothing a precise, period flavour, but it is no longer a usual label for modern neckwear. In literary or historical prose, it can refer to a light, ornamental scarf that hangs, flutters, or is adjusted around the shoulders. A natural example is “She drew the ends of her falbala over her collar.” Because current speakers are unlikely to encounter the term in everyday conversation, its presence usually signals an older, formal, or deliberately period setting. Even so, the word is useful when discussing nineteenth-century dress, costume history, or historical fiction, where a general term such as “scarf” may lose the distinctive implication of a tasselled women's accessory.
nounAn archaic kind of scarf or neckerchief, especially a decorative, often tasselled one worn by women.
- An archaic or literary term for a decorative scarf or neckerchief, often ornamented with tassels and worn by women.
"She drew the tasselled ends of her falbala over her shoulders."
"The maid carefully arranged the tassels of her mistress's falbala."
"The dancer's falbala fluttered behind her as she crossed the stage."
The plural is now uncommon because the noun itself is chiefly archaic or literary.
"The costumes included several brightly coloured falbalas."
Before it became a literary relic, a falbala was simply a tasselled scarf.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of falbala
The English word was borrowed from French falbala, a term historically used for a scarf or kerchief. It appeared in English in the early nineteenth century and subsequently became chiefly associated with dated, literary, or historical descriptions of clothing.
How falbala is actually used
The word is now chiefly encountered in historical or literary contexts describing older forms of women's dress. It may sound deliberately old-fashioned when used in modern writing.