Lungi
/ˈlʊŋ.ɡi/noun
A loose, usually rectangular garment wrapped around the waist and worn especially in South Asia and parts of Southeast Asia.
Did you know?The lungi is closely related in use to several South and Southeast Asian waist-wrapped garments, but its precise ultimate linguistic origin remains debated rather than magical or occult.
Etymological Timeline
19th Century
Persian
lung
“A loincloth or cloth worn around the lower body; a proposed source for the later South Asian garment name.”
19th Century
Hindi
lungī
“A waist-wrapped cloth or skirt-like garment.”
19th Century
Bengali
লুঙ্গি (lungi)
“A cloth garment wrapped around the waist.”
19th–20th Century
South Asian English
lungi
“The established English name for the garment.”
Modern English
English
lungi
“A loose waist-wrapped garment commonly worn in South Asia and Southeast Asia.”