Polka (etymology)

[Steve K.]

On Wed, 30 May 2001, Frank Abate wrote:

> Did those 1840s dancers and musicians wear clothes with this pattern?  Is
> such a pattern in clothing known/common in Central Europe, or was it once?

Here's a picture of some Moravian costumes -- these are quite similar to
the ones my parents own (they were in a Czech singing group). The only
dots I've seen in Moravian costumes are ones that are part of a larger
embroidered image, such as a flower (Like a few flattened teardrop shapes
representing leaves with a dot on top representing the flower) or a
chicken.

http://www.czechheritage.org/CountyPages/parade.html

www.moravanka.cz also has photo album covers, but the detail of the
women's clothes is harder to discern.


--- Steve K.