Pajamas
/pəˈdʒɑː.məz/noun
Loose clothing worn for sleeping or relaxing.
Did you know?English got pajamas through Hindi/Urdu from Persian, where the word originally referred to loose legwear tied at the waist—proof that even sleepwear can carry a long, cross-cultural history.
Etymological Timeline
Persian
fa
pāy-jāma
“leg garment; trousers”
Hindi/Urdu
hi/ur
pāy-jāmā
“trousers or loose legwear”
18th-19th Century
English
pajama
“loose trousers worn for sleeping or lounging”
Modern English
en
pajamas
“sleepwear consisting of a matching top and trousers or similar comfortable clothing”