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Where does the word "kurta" come from? It comes from Persian kurta, passing through Urdu before entering English (1910s).
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Where does the word "kurta" come from? It comes from Persian kurta, passing through Urdu before entering English (1910s).
Kurta’s story begins in Persian: kurta meant “tunic.” A tunic. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Urdu as kurtā. A long loose shirt. It reached English by 1910s as kurta. Borrowed as South Asian dress spread. Today, kurta means a loose collarless shirt worn in South Asia.
- Stage 1 · Persian · medieval kurta "tunic", a tunic.
- Stage 2 · Urdu · medieval kurtā "long shirt", a long loose shirt.
- Stage 3 · English · 1910s kurta "loose shirt", borrowed as South Asian dress spread.