Veshti
/ˈveɪʃti/noun
A traditional South Indian unstitched cloth worn around the waist, especially by men.
Did you know?Veshti is related through an ancient Indo-European clothing root to English “vest” and “wear,” linking everyday dress across thousands of years of language history.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wes-
“To clothe or put on garments.”
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
veṣṭi
“A garment or cloth associated with wrapping around the body.”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
veṣṭana
“Wrapping, encircling, or a covering.”
Medieval to Modern Tamil
Tamil
vēṭṭi (வேட்டி)
“An unstitched cloth wrapped around the waist.”
Modern English
English
veshti
“A South Indian traditional waist garment, borrowed from Tamil usage.”