ttps:////»https://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd»>
Everything indicates that this strange nickname was born on the streets of France. In the 12th century, the word camelot – probably a modification of the Arabic khmalat, which meant “rustic and plush fabric” – entered the French vocabulary to designate a type of fabric made from camel hair. Imported from countries in North Africa and the Middle East, the product was highly appreciated for its soft texture, shine and good thermal insulation. “In the shops of Paris, this popular fabric was shouted out by the sellers, who were baptized with the name of the merchandise they sold. The problem is that camel hair is often nothing more than a cheap imitation of goat hair. Thus was born the sense that associates the street vendor with a seller of counterfeit products”, says etymologist Deonisio da Silva, from the Federal University of São Carlos (Ufscar). Later, variations in the French language assimilated the pejorative sense with the verb cameloter.
First recorded in the 17th century, the term means “to sell trinkets or to behave impolitely.” Two centuries later, the word camelote was used with the meaning of “coarse merchandise, of insufficient finishing”. From France, the word crossed the Atlantic Ocean and landed in Brazil, at the beginning of the 20th century, where it maintained its derogatory meaning.