Etymology Map
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Purdah

3 stages from Old Persian to English.

Today it means the practice in some Muslim and Hindu societies of screening women from men or strangers, by a curtain, veil, or seclusion

Where does the word "purdah" come from? It comes from Old Persian pari-da-, passing through Persian before entering English (1800).

1
Stage 1 of 3
pari-da-
Old Persian · ancient
"to place around, enclose"
compound of "around" and "to place"
2
Stage 2 of 3
pardah
Persian · medieval
"veil, curtain"
came to mean a screening curtain or veil
3
Stage 3 of 3
purdah
English · 1800
"the seclusion of women behind a screen"
borrowed via Urdu during British rule in India
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