charpoy

Where does the word "charpoy" come from? It comes from Persian chahār-pāy, passing through Urdu before entering English (1840s).

Charpoy’s story begins in Persian: chahār-pāy meant “four-footed.” 'four feet'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Urdu as chārpāī. The everyday string bed of South Asia. It reached English by 1840s as charpoy. Borrowed in British India. Today, charpoy means a light bedstead of webbing on a wooden frame.

1. Stage 1 · Persian · medieval chahār-pāy "four-footed", 'four feet'.
2. Stage 2 · Urdu · medieval chārpāī "string bed", the everyday string bed of South Asia.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1840s charpoy "string bed", borrowed in British India.