pajamas

Where does the word "pajamas" come from? It comes from Persian paejamah, passing through Hindi before entering English (1800s).

Pajamas’s story begins in Persian: paejamah meant “leg clothing, loose trousers.” Compound of pae, "leg," and jamah, "garment". By by 1800, the word had taken hold in Hindi as pajama. Everyday trousers worn by Muslims in India, adopted by European colonists. It reached English by 1800s as pyjamas / pajamas. Europeans in India began wearing them as nightwear, and the word followed. Today, pajamas means a loose two-piece garment worn for sleeping.

1. Stage 1 · Persian · medieval paejamah "leg clothing, loose trousers", compound of pae, "leg," and jamah, "garment".
2. Stage 2 · Hindi · by 1800 pajama "loose trousers tied at the waist", everyday trousers worn by Muslims in India, adopted by European colonists.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1800s pyjamas / pajamas "sleepwear", Europeans in India began wearing them as nightwear, and the word followed.