Duffel vs. Duffle

Main Difference

The main difference between Duffel and Duffle is that the Duffel is a municipality in Antwerp, Belgium and Duffle is a type of large cylindrical bag.

• Duffel

  Duffel (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdɵfəl]) is a municipality in the Belgian province of Antwerp.

  The municipality comprises only the town of Duffel proper. On 1 January 2006, Duffel had a total population of 16,019. The total area is 22.71 km² which gives a population density of 705 inhabitants per km².

  The town gives its name to a heavy woollen cloth used to make overcoats, especially for the armed forces, and various kinds of luggage. Items made from this material are sometimes spelled duffle as in duffle coat and duffle bag.

  The etymology of Duffel is from “dubro” and “locus”, from the Gaulish dubrum, dubron – “water”.

• Duffle

  A duffel bag, duffle bag, kit bag or gym bag is a large cylindrical bag made of cloth (or other fabric), historically with a top closure.

  The name comes from Duffel, a town in Flanders, Belgium, where the thick cloth used to make the bag originated in the 17th century. . More recently, a duffel bag typically refers to the specific style of bag, though the phrase may also be used to refer to any large generic holdall or a bag made of thick fabric.

  It is often used as luggage or to carry sports equipment by people who travel in the outdoors. Duffel bags or kit bags are also often used by military personnel; when used by sailors or marines they are sometimes called seabags.