Thawb
/θɔːb/noun
A long, usually ankle-length robe traditionally worn in parts of the Arab world and other Muslim-majority regions.
Did you know?The word is also commonly written “thobe,” and its pronunciation varies by region, with forms such as “thawb,” “thobe,” and “dishdasha” referring to related traditional garments.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ṯawb-
“Garment or article of clothing; the reconstructed ancestral form”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ثَوْب (thawb)
“A garment, dress, or item of clothing”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
ثَوْب (thawb)
“A robe or substantial piece of clothing”
20th Century
English
thobe
“An English spelling used especially for the long robe worn in the Arabian Peninsula”
Modern English
English
thawb
“A long traditional robe, particularly one associated with Arab men”