'tablecloth' originates from Middle English, specifically the words 'table' and 'cloth', where 'table' meant 'a flat surface' and 'cloth' meant 'fabric'.

'tablecloth' changed from the Middle English word 'tableclothe' and eventually became the modern English word 'tablecloth'.

Initially, it meant 'a cloth for covering a table', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.