Hakama
/həˈkɑːmə/noun
A traditional Japanese garment resembling a divided skirt or wide-legged trousers, worn over a kimono.
Did you know?Hakama have been worn by samurai, Shinto priests, martial artists, and graduates, but the word’s deeper origin is uncertain beyond its Old Japanese history.
Etymological Timeline
8th Century
Old Japanese
hakama
“A lower-body garment; the earliest written form associated with the traditional Japanese clothing term.”
Heian Period
Classical Japanese
袴 (hakama)
“A formal lower garment worn in aristocratic dress, including styles used by both men and women.”
Kamakura–Edo Periods
Japanese
袴 (hakama)
“A garment increasingly associated with samurai attire, formal clothing, and institutional rank.”
19th Century
Japanese
hakama
“A traditional divided skirt or trouser-like garment, preserved amid modernization and Western clothing.”
Modern English
English
hakama
“An English loanword for the traditional Japanese garment, especially in discussions of martial arts, ceremonies, and historical costume.”
Explore more surprising origins