How to write and when to use jean and jeans
Certainly, in the age of text messages and automatic correctors, spelling tends to get lost. But who hasn't asked themselves the question: should we write "jean" or "jeans," and pronounce this word with or without the final "s"? Let's start with a little history to trace the origin of our beautiful pants and the etymology of the word that identifies them.
Jeans, Genoa canvas
Denim is a cotton canvas, dyed blue or indigo. This canvas was originally used by the Genoese navy in the 16th century for the sails of its ships, and later for clothing for its crews. Denim canvas is a phonetic derivative of “Genoa canvas .” Referring to the fabric, jean is always used in the singular, and thus refers to a variety of canvas.
Let us note in passing that the denim fabric evolved in the 19th century to become denim: it is still a cotton fabric, now with a twill weave, coming from Nîmes. Here too, a phonetic deformation transformed the twill “from Nîmes” into “denim”.
Jeans, denim pants
In the plural, jeans are always pants made of denim, that is, denim. Jeans have a number of characteristics that make them unique , beyond their material: rivets, indigo coloring, sewing thread, 5 pockets, ticket pocket, etc.
French accepts both the singular and plural forms of jean to refer to this item of clothing, originally work pants. We chose the singular form to refer to our brand, Le Beau Jean. It's correct and sounds good, especially since we pronounce it like the French name!
No jean's or djinns, just cotton!
English speakers tend to use the plural to refer to pants, but the singular is also found. They even coined the expression "blue jeans" to reflect the color of the pants, but it tends to disappear in modern usage. The same goes for the "blue jeans" that we have heard in French. The only certainty is that "jean's" simply doesn't exist! And djinns belong to another world!
Bottom line: if a brand offers you a pair of linen jeans, that's nice, it's certainly based on a good feeling, it might be a nice pair of pants, but it's not jeans!
