Saree
/ˈsɑː.riː/noun
A long piece of fabric traditionally wrapped around the body and worn as a garment, especially in South Asia.
Did you know?The word entered English through Indian languages, with forms such as Sanskrit śāṭī and Prakrit sāḍī evolving into modern sari and saree.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
śāṭī
“A strip or piece of cloth; a garment”
Middle Indo-Aryan
Prakrit
sāḍī
“A garment or length of cloth”
Medieval Indo-Aryan
Apabhraṃśa
sāḍī
“A wrapped cloth garment”
15th–18th Century
Hindi and related languages
sāṛī
“The traditional draped garment”
18th–19th Century
English
sari / saree
“A South Asian garment made from a long length of fabric”
Modern English
English
saree
“A long, traditionally draped South Asian garment”