Sari
/ˈsɑːr.i/noun
A long piece of fabric traditionally wrapped around the body as a garment, especially by women in South Asia.
Did you know?The English word entered through South Asian languages, while the garment itself has ancient predecessors depicted in early Indian art and sculpture.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
śāṭī
“A garment or piece of clothing; commonly cited as an early source for sari”
Middle Indo-Aryan
Prakrit
sāḍī
“A garment or length of cloth”
Medieval Indian languages
Apabhraṃśa
sāḍī
“A women’s wrapped garment or cloth”
16th–18th Century
Hindi and related languages
sāṛī
“A long cloth garment worn wrapped around the body”
18th–19th Century
English
sari
“A South Asian women’s garment”
Modern English
English
sari
“A long, traditionally wrapped garment worn especially in South Asia”
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