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Dashiki

3 stages from Hausa to English.

Today it means a brightly patterned, loose-fitting shirt of West African style, worn especially by men

Where does the word "dashiki" come from? It comes from Hausa dan ciki, passing through Yoruba before entering English (1968).

1
Stage 1 of 3
dan ciki
Hausa · traditional
"undergarment tunic"
literally "underneath", a short tunic worn under larger robes by men
2
Stage 2 of 3
danshiki
Yoruba · 1800s
"short sleeveless tunic"
borrowed from Hausa and adapted as the name for a short, sleeveless men's tunic
3
Stage 3 of 3
dashiki
English · 1968
"colorful loose-fitting African shirt"
adopted into African-American English as a loose, colorful pan-African shirt worn as a symbol of Black pride
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