A hindi and urdu word pajama referred to loose pants tied егэ

You can find books dedicated to words that are “untranslatable” from language to language, but what about the words that hardly need translation? The world’s various languages have evolved to be beautifully diverse, and their words often seem to bear little resemblance to each other. However, there are a handful of words which sound strangely similar around the globe.

Maybe there’s just something intrinsically human about the sound of these words. In other cases, certain foodstuffs just managed to retain their tags as they moved from culture to culture. Whatever the reason, here are just a few words in different languages that have managed to stay connected.

10 ‘Pajamas’

A Hindi and Urdu word, pajama, referred to loose pants tied around the waist, a popular fashion in India. After colonization, the British took the clothing home, and over time, the style and word grew far beyond the subcontinent.^[1]

What is particularly notable is how far it has gotten (and in such a short time). In almost any language you could name, you can find a derivative of pajama. Whether it is bijama in Arabic or pizsama in Hungarian. The word “pajama” even appears in languages like Basque and Irish.

Add to that the fact that many of these languages must have previously had some term for sleepwear. It was by no means a new concept. Even though previous terms may have been simple compound words (such as “nightgown” in English), they were still doing a pretty sufficient job.

For so many languages to incorporate this new term and use it widely is incredibly unusual. Imagine if kilts suddenly became highly fashionable, and within less than a century, every language was using “kilt” as a word for skirts. You would accept it because that would be awesome, and you would be dead, but it would be strange nonetheless. Similarly, “pajamas” is a great word, and fun to say, but the takeover is pretty hard to explain.

9 ‘OK’

Often cited as one of the most well-known words in the world, “OK” is doing pretty okay for itself. A common story behind the creation of “OK” was that 1830s newspapers in the US went mad for abbreviations. “OK” came about as a joke. The abbreviation “OK” was used to mean “orl korrekt,” an intentional misspelling of “all correct”^[2] which was presumably hysterical in the 1830s.

Okay, well, there are other theories. Some claim it is a corruption of aux Cayes, French for “from Cayes,” referring to a Haitian port with good rum. Or maybe it’s from the Greek ola kala, meaning “it is good” or “all good,” or even derived from the Scots phrase “och aye.” Whatever its origin, the word has quickly spread to be used and understood in almost every country to mean that everything is alright.

8 ‘Taxi’

“Taxi” is another relatively recent word that has been incorporated into many languages. From the term “taximeter cab” (“tax” from the Medieval Latin taxa for “tax” or “charge”), the shortened word “taxi” has become commonplace all over the world. Though it changes language to language, the sound is almost always “tak-see” or very close.^[3]

It may simply be that it is a short and easy word that describes a more complicated idea. In Japan, taxis were bureaucratically referred to as ippan jokyaku ryokaku jidosha (“motor vehicle for general passengers and travelers”). Saving much ink, the word takushii became commonplace from the start.

It may have been a word simply popularized elsewhere by tourism. However, with the US, Europe, and Japan all essentially using the word “taxi,” most countries were importing their vehicles from a country that used the word. British cars were sent to India, and brands like Toyota and Ford became commonly used as taxis around the world, making traveling one word easier for tourists everywhere.

7 ‘Mama’

The word “mama” is the same in a startlingly high number of languages, or at least very similar, such as eomma in Korean or mami in Czech. (Equivalent words for fathers are also similar but vary more widely.) This consistent term for “mother” may lure you into thinking that this word was so strong, so integral, that it survived from early humanity and spread throughout the world.

The real story is even stranger. It independently arose in many different languages. How could this happen? Research suggests it has everything to do with early speech development. A baby’s babbling is not a series of random noises and follows a pattern. In vocal experimentation, babies often arrive at the “ah” sound first. It is the easiest sound to make, as you do not have to do anything with your mouth to make it. Closing our lips to create an “mmm” also comes quite naturally. Think of how often you still do. Mm-hmm?

6 ‘Haha’

“Haha” is our go-to sound for describing laughter. It has been that way since we first started writing it down—all the way back to Chaucer. Other onomatopoeic variations, such as “hehe,” “hee-hee,” or “ho-ho,” just cannot compete. And, looking at the way that other cultures write out laughter at a keyboard, it appears that this is mirrored across much of the world.^[5]

Each language, of course, has different ways of expressing and typing this “haha” sound. For instance, Spanish will be “jaja.” In Thailand, the number 5 is pronounced “ha,” so they will often express laughter on the keyboard by typing “55555!”

This common “haha” makes for an easy concept to translate in case you want to be dryly sarcastic in other languages. If you would like to express genuine mirth, then you can, of course, just laugh.

5 ‘Guitar’

The word “guitar” is complicated to trace, as it has applied to different stringed instruments throughout history. It wasn’t until the 19th century that a six-stringed instrument closely resembling the versatile and commonplace guitar we know today was developed.

This modern guitar was derived from Spain and a medieval instrument known as a guitarra latina. Much of Europe takes the word from this. However, going back further, the Spanish word has roots in Greek word kithara and Arabic gitara.

However, both the word and instrument go much further back than this. Tar is a Hindi word for “string,” derived from more ancient Persian and Sanskrit. Tar is seen in many other instrument names, such as the tar and sitar.

This long evolution crisscrossing continents created a common word for the instrument across many cultures, and eventually, it integrated into a vast array of languages. Incredibly, at the end of the process, we (almost) all still describe a Fender with the same “gee-ta” sound.^[6]

4 Cha

China exported tea, both the product and the word, around the world. Actually, they exported two different words. “Tea” was pronounced cha in most dialects across China, and this pronunciation was spread via the Silk Road into Persian and then Urdu, Arabic, Russian, and eventually as far as East African languages such as Swahili.

However, a particular dialect pronouncing cha as “te” just so happened to be spoken at two major ports for Dutch trade: the coastal province of Fujian and the island of Taiwan. From Dutch, the word spread into Europe as well as the west coast of Africa and influenced a large number of languages from that point.^[7]

There are languages that use neither word. Unsurprisingly, they tend to be countries where tea grows naturally. However, you’ll find the Chinese terms in almost 200 different languages. Cha derivatives are more common, however, and often a name for a type of tea in languages that don’t use one. Chai tea, for instance, is an Indian tea now popular across much of the world. Armed with both words, you can ask for a cup of tea almost anywhere in the world.

3 Kahve

“Kof-ee,” “kahve,” “kava” . . . Make these three sounds, and you’ve come pretty close to saying “coffee” in most of the languages in the world. That is because most languages borrowed the Turkish word kahve (not to be confused with “Java,” which is a slang term from referring to Javanese coffee), which, in turn, was based on the older Arabic word qahua.

And none have drifted too far from that point. In fact, English uses one of the least recognizable forms. Much of Europe changed “v” to “f” (such as the French cafe), but the Dutch also changed the “a” to an “o,” leaving languages such as English, German, and Afrikaans with the sound “kofi.”^[8] All, however, are still very recognizably tied to the Turkish word. The popularity of the drink spread quickly, and the word came with it.

2 ‘Huh’

A 2013 study lauded “huh” as the most universal word in the world. Despite this, the word is not the same across languages.

. . . Huh?

The thing is that while it doesn’t sound exactly the same, there are an incredibly narrow set of parameters that it adheres to. The equivalent words are always monosyllabic, have a questioning intonation, and all have similar vowel and consonant sounds and formation. This may not sound incredible, but a word with these rules is an exceptional discovery. Imagine finding that “dog” or “chair” had an innate form replicated independently across the majority of languages.

And though many might not think of “huh” as a word, it is, with a place in the dictionaries and everything. Specifically, it is a sound that needs to be learned and not one we naturally produce. (Bizarrely, so is most of the noise we make when we sneeze. So, if you have an explosive sneeze, you are the only one to blame.) This is an important point, as otherwise, “huh” would simply be another naturally occurring sound, such as a grunt or cry.

The study suggested that these similarities exist since “huh” has such a unique function. It has to be easily slid into a conversation without disrupting the initial speaker too greatly. As each language evolved, they all independently found that this type of sound best suited the job.^[9] With this level of similarity, it is a word that can transcend language barriers. It’s helpful, too, as talking to someone who doesn’t speak your language is going to lead to a whole lot of “huh?”

1 Chocolate

Chocolate is another addiction that became unbelievably popular around the world while the name remained largely unchanged.^[10] The word originates in the Nahuatl word xocolatl. In Aztec culture, these cacao beans were widely consumed as a beverage called cacahuatl, a probable origin for the word “cacao.” The Spaniards coined the term “chocolate,” and the word passed from Spanish into many other European languages, including English.

As with coffee, it is perhaps the speed at which new cultures picked up chocolate that kept the name from changing, with dedicated “chocolate houses” springing up in Europe in the 17th and early 18th centuries around a product that had become immediately culturally significant. Today, “chocoholic” is an actual word in actual dictionaries, so not a whole lot has changed.

Reggie is a small being moving around the planet, learning new things, and writing some of them down.

Asked by: Kavon Hamill

Score: 5/5
(48 votes)

Pyjamas/Pajamas

The spelling “pajama” is extensively used in the North America, derived from the Hindi word “payjamah,” on splitting it means leg (pay) and clothing (jamah).

Is Pajama a Hindi word or English?

Etymology. The word pyjama was borrowed into English c. 1800 from the Hindustani pāy-jāmaਪਜਾਮਾ, itself borrowed from Persian: پايجامه‎, romanized: pāy-jāma, lit. ‘leg-garment’.

What is the origin of the word pajama?

The words pajamas and pyjamas are recorded earlier, in the 1800s. They come from the Hindi pāyjāma, from the Persian pāy, meaning “leg,” and jāma, meaning “garment.” Originally, the word pajamas referred to loose-fitting pants worn in parts of Asia, usually made of silk or cotton.

What language does pajama come from?

The word comes from Urdu/ Hindi pāyjāma/payjāmā, and its Persian etymon pāyjāma/ pājāma – where “pāy” and“pā”mean “foot, leg”, and jāma is “clothing, garment”, with the English plural ending added.

What is Pajama called in English?

It is typically spelled as pyjamas by speakers of British English. … The word sleepwear is sometimes used as a more formal synonym for pajamas, especially in the name of a department in a clothing store or a section of a clothing website. More formal terms, like nightclothes and nightwear, are rarely used.

25 related questions found

«Pyjama» redirects here. For other meanings of «pyjama» or «pajama» or similar see Pajamas (disambiguation).

Pajamas, also spelled pyjamas (see also spelling differences), can refer to several related types of clothing. The original paijama are loose, lightweight trousers fitted with drawstring waistbands and worn in South and West Asia by both sexes.^[1] In many English-speaking nations, pajamas are loose-fitting, two-piece garments derived from the original garment and worn chiefly for sleeping,^[2] but sometimes also for lounging,^[3] also by both sexes.^[4] More generally, pajamas may refer to several garments, for both daywear and nightwear, derived from traditional pajamas and involving variations of style and material.

The word «pyjama» or «pajama», which originally derives from the Persian word پايجامه (Peyjama meaning «foot garment»), was incorporated into the English language during British Raj through the Hindustani (the progenitor language of modern-day Urdu and Hindi).^[5]

Types of pajamas

Traditional

Traditional pajamas consist of a jacket-and-trousers combination made of soft fabric, such as flannel;^[6] the jacket has a placket front and its sleeves have no cuffs.^[7] In colloquial speech, these are often called pjs, jim jams or jammies;^[8] in South Asia, and sometimes in South Africa, they are known as night suits.

Contemporary

These are derived from traditional pajamas, and may be variations of style only, such as short sleeve pajamas,^[9] pajama-bottoms of varying length,^[10] or, on occasion, one-piece pajamas,^[11] or may involve variation in material used as well. Chiefly in the US, the latter type may refer to stretch-knit sleep apparel with rib-knit trimmings. Usually worn by children, these garments have pullover tops (if two-piece) or have zippers down the fronts (if one-piece), and may also be footed. Although pajamas are usually distinguished from non-bifurcated sleeping garments such as nightgowns, in the US, they can sometimes include the latter, as in babydoll pajamas.^[12]

Daywear

Even more generally, pajamas may refer to women’s combination daywear, consisting of short-sleeved or sleeveless blouses and lightweight pants; examples of these are capri pajamas, beach pajamas, and hostess pajamas.^[13]

Material

Pajamas are usually loose fitting and designed for comfort, using softer materials such as cotton or the more luxurious silk or satin. Synthetic materials such as polyester and Lycra are also available.

Designs and patterns

Pajamas often contain visual references to a thing that may hold some special appeal to the wearer. Images of sports, animals, balloons, polka dots, stripes, and other things may all be used to decorate them. Pajamas may also be found in plainer designs, such as plaid or plain gray, but when worn in public, they are usually designed in such a way that makes their identity unambiguous. Older styles of children’s pajamas have been depicted as having a square button-up flap covering the buttocks.

Custom

Pajamas are often worn with bare feet and sometimes without underwear, . They are often worn as comfort wear even when not in bed, and are also sometimes worn as a fashion statement. In North America, some people have started to wear pajama pants in public as fashion.^{[citation needed]} In China, it is not unusual in the late afternoon or evening, to have adults wear their pajamas in public around their local neighborhood.^[14] The supermarket Tesco in St Mellons, Cardiff, Great Britain started a ban on pajamas in January 2010.^[15]

History

The word «pajama» was incorporated into the English language from Persian. The word originally derives from the Persian word پايجامه Payjama meaning «leg garment.»

• 

  Courier in white paijama, India, 1844.

• 

  Men in white paijama with hunting cheetahs, India 1844.

• 

  Muslim men in paijamas (various styles), Bombay, 1867

• 

  Muslim woman in salwar-style pyjamas, Sindh, 1870.

The worldwide use of pajamas (the word and the garment) is the result of British presence in South Asia in the 18th and 19th centuries.^[16] According to Yule and Burnell’s Hobson-Jobson (1903)^[17] the word originally referred to loose trousers tied around the waist.

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, «They were introduced in England as lounging attire in the 17th century but soon went out of fashion. About 1870 they reappeared in the Western world as sleeping attire for men, after returning British colonials brought (them) back ….»^[20]

References in popular culture

• Author Lucy Maud Montgomery, touches upon how pyjamas were viewed by the Canadian provincial culture in her 1931 novel, A Tangled Web: «The night before, as he was sitting on his bed, studying if there were any way to wheedle the secret out of Dandy Dark, he had absently put both feet into one pyjama leg. Then when he stood up he fell on the floor in what his terrified wife at first thought was a fit. Very few of the clan sympathized with him as to his resulting shoulder. They thought it served him right for wearing new-fangled duds. If he had had a proper nightshirt on it couldn’t have happened.»^[21]
• The Pajama Game was a Broadway musical and film highlighting workers at a pajama factory.
• Pajamas played a prominent role on a popular kids television show known as Bananas in Pyjamas. The show detailed the adventures of two bananas while wearing their pajamas.
• Pajamas Media is an online advertising and publishing company created by bloggers Roger L. Simon and Charles Johnson. The term derives from CNN president Jonathan Klein’s 2004 dismissal of bloggers as «a guy sitting in his living room in his pyjamas.».^[22]
• The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a 2006 novel about a child in a concentration camp, written from the perspective of an innocent child who befriends him.

See also

• Blanket sleeper
• Sleepover
• Nightgown
• Sleep

References

External links

• Gao Yubin, The Pajama Game Closes in Shanghai. New York Times. May 14, 2010. Accessed May 18, 2010.

Traditional pajamas consist of a shirt-and-trousers combination made of soft fabric, such as flannel or lightweight cotton. … Pajamas are usually worn as nightwear with bare feet and without undergarments.

Regarding this, Why is it called pajama? The words pajamas and pyjamas are recorded earlier, in the 1800s. They come from the Hindi pu0101yju0101ma, from the Persian pu0101y, meaning u201cleg,u201d and ju0101ma, meaning u201cgarment.u201d Originally, the word pajamas referred to loose-fitting pants worn in parts of Asia, usually made of silk or cotton.

How do I make a pajama shirt?

What is a pajama set called? Nightwear u2013 also called sleepwear, or nightclothes u2013 is clothing designed to be worn while sleeping. The style of nightwear worn may vary with the seasons, with warmer styles being worn in colder conditions and vice versa.

Beside above, Is pyjama an Indian word?

The first records of the words pajamas and pyjamas come from the 1800s. They come from the Hindi pāyjāma, from the Persian pāy, meaning “leg,” and jāma, meaning “garment.” The use of p.j.’s as an abbreviation of these words started to become widespread in the first half of the 1900s.

Is pajama an English word?

The word is commonly and informally abbreviated as p.j.’s. It is typically spelled as pyjamas by speakers of British English. … Traditionally, though, pajamas are specifically made and sold as clothes for sleeping in, typically consisting of soft, loose-fitting pants or shorts and a (sometimes matching) top.

What country did pyjamas originate in? The pyjamas were first introduced in Britain in the 17th century, originally known as mogul’s breeches, but they only became popular as loungewear for men from about 1870.

Is it PJ’s or pjs? “pajama”; “pajamas”: the standard American spelling. “pyjama”; “pyjamas”: the standard British spelling. “pj”; “pj’s”: the standard singular and plural abbreviations.

Definition of pajama party

: a party for children who spend the night at the house of a friend.

Are nightgown pajamas? As nouns the difference between nightgown and pajamas

is that nightgown is a garment mainly worn by women for sleeping in while pajamas is clothes for wearing to bed and sleeping in, usually consisting of a loose-fitting shirt and pants/trousers.

Why are pyjamas striped?

The idea comes from afar. In the Middle Age, lepers and heretics were ordered to dress striped clothing to let people know in just one look, what kind of people they were, and until the first years of the XX century, the striped clothing was used in the jails as the uniform for those incarcerated.

Why are PJS called pjs? The word pajama comes from the Hindi “pae jama” or “pai jama,” meaning leg clothing, and its usage dates back to the Ottoman Empire. Alternate spellings include: paejamas, paijamas, pyjamas, and the abbreviated pj’s. … Pajamas were adopted by Europeans while in these countries, and brought back as exotic loungewear.

What are pajamas called in England?

United Kingdom – Pyjamas, PJs, Jim-jams, Jarmies

They’re the same thing! Jim-jams is slang for pyjamas, originating from an early 20th century abbreviation of “pie-jim-jams.” Some Brits will say PJS for shorts or even “jarmies” as another variation. If you ever visit England or Scotland, don’t forget your jim-jams!

Who named pajamas?

People throughout the UK soon found the colorful, lightweight garments ideal for lounging and sleeping. They called them “pyjamas”, which is derived from the Persian words “pay” and “jama” that mean leg garment. By the 1920s, the fashion trend had found its way across the Atlantic to America’s shores.

How do you say pjs?

Does PJ mean pajamas? ” Pyjamas, night wear ” is the most common definition for PJ’S on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
…
Summary of Key Points.

Is pjs American?

Generally, ‘pajamas’ is the preferred spelling in American English, whereas ‘pyjamas’ is the more common spelling used in English through out the rest of the world.

How do the British pronounce pyjamas?

What is a girls sleepover called?

Definitions of slumber party. an overnight party of girls who dress in nightclothes and pass the night talking. type of: party. a group of people gathered together for pleasure.

How do you spell pyjamas in Canada? Pajamas and pyjamas both refer to loose-fitting clothes worn for sleep. Pajamas is the preferred spelling in American English, while pyjamas is preferred in the main varieties of English from outside North America. Canadian usage in this century is inconsistent, though pyjamas appears to have the edge.

Why do we wear sleeping garment at night?

One known reason why pajamas are popular as sleepwear is that they can provide utmost comfort, primarily because of their fabric material. … This means the fabric is gentle on even sensitive skin, helping you sleep better. These types of fabrics are also very breathable, keeping you cool. This helps promote better sleep.

Who invented the pajamas? French couturier Paul Poiret launched pajama styles for both day and evening as early as 1911, and his influence played a large role in their eventual acceptance. Beach pajamas, which were worn by the seaside and for walking on the boardwalk, were popularized by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel in the early 1920s.

Is sleepwear a clothes? In summary, sleepwear is clothing worn to bed. The category of apparel can also be referenced as nightclothes, nightdress, or nightwear. … A babydoll a short, sometimes sleeveless, loose-fitting nightgown or negligee for women, generally designed to resemble a young girl’s nightgown.

What were pajamas called in the 1850s? Sleepwear during the Victorian age was usually referred to as ‘night clothes’ and often consisted of ankle-length nightshirts or nightgowns and floor-length robes. Almost everything was white, especially when the style was first adopted (eventually colors and patterns became fashionable).

Why do pajamas exist?

One known reason why pajamas are popular as sleepwear is that they can provide utmost comfort, primarily because of their fabric material. … This means the fabric is gentle on even sensitive skin, helping you sleep better. These types of fabrics are also very breathable, keeping you cool. This helps promote better sleep.

What language is pajamas from? The word comes from Urdu/ Hindi pāyjāma/payjāmā, and its Persian etymon pāyjāma/ pājāma – where “pāy” and“pā”mean “foot, leg”, and jāma is “clothing, garment”, with the English plural ending added.

Why do pyjamas have pockets? This piece of apparel aptly helps to protect your dignity and image during such vulnerable and critical moments. Pajamas also enabled you to get out of bed fast and react to the emergency without first having to fumble for clothing in the dark. How much smaller are women’s pockets than men’s pockets?

Don’t forget to share this post.

Q: Should the title of a holiday song be “Christmas PJs,” “Christmas PJ’s,” or “Christmas Pj’s”?

A: We’d use two capital letters without an apostrophe in writing the abbreviation of “pajamas.” So our recommendation is “Christmas PJs” for the song title.

We’re treating “PJ” here as an initialism, an abbreviation that’s spoken as letters, like “IQ” for “intelligence quotient” or “ICBM” for “intercontinental ballistic missile.” When we pluralize those, we simply add an “s” at the end: “IQs” and “ICBMs.”

Although most initialisms consist of the first letter or letters of words in a phrase, some are made up of selected letters in a single word, such as “KO” for “knockout” and “TV” for “television.” When we pluralize them, we also add just an “s”: “KOs,” “TVs.” Similarly, the plural of “PJ” would be “PJs” (pronounced PEE-jays).

That’s what we would do, and we’ll explain why later. But first we should mention that this is a matter of style, not correctness. Although publishers generally do it our way, the 10 online standard dictionaries we usually consult are all over the place in capitalizing and punctuating the abbreviation of “pajamas” (spelled “pyjamas” in the UK).

Cambridge and Lexico (the former Oxford Dictionaries Online) spell it “PJs” while Merriam-Webster and Merriam-Webster Unabridged spell it “pj’s.” American Heritage gives three separate spellings: “PJs or PJ’s or pj’s” (“or” indicates equal variants).

Here are other entries: Collins, “PJs or pj’s”; Dictionary.com (based on Random House Unabridged), “p.j.’s or P.J.’s”; Longman, “pj’s, PJ’s” (the comma indicates equal variants); Macmillan and Webster’s New World, “pj’s.”

Although you could defend any of those spellings by citing a standard dictionary, we still prefer two capital letters and no apostrophe: “PJs.” In the new fourth edition of Woe Is I, Pat gives her recommendations on pluralizing abbreviations:

Over the years, authorities have disagreed on how we should form the plurals of abbreviations (GI, rpm, RBI), letters (x, y, z), and numbers (9, 10). Should we add s, or ’s ? Where one style maven saw UFO’s, another saw UFOs. One was nostalgic for the 1990’s, the other for the 1990s.

The problem with adding ’s is that we get plurals and possessives confused. Is UFO’s, for example, a plural (I see two UFO’s) or a possessive (That UFO’s lights are violet)?

Here’s what I recommend, and what most publishers do these days. To form the plurals of abbreviations and numbers, add s alone, but to form the plural of a single letter, add ’s. CPAs, who know the three R’s and can add columns of 9s in their heads, have been advising MDs since the 1980s to dot their i’s, cross their t’s, and never accept IOUs. Things could be worse: there could be two IRSs.

Why use the apostrophe with a single letter? Because without it, the plural is often impossible to read. Like this: The choreographer’s name is full of as, is, and us. (Translation: His name is full of a’s, i’s, and u’s.)”

As for the etymology, English borrowed “pajamas” at the beginning of the 19th century from Urdu, adding a plural “s” to the South Asian term pāy-jāma or pā-jāma, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Urdu got the word from Persian, the OED says, where pāy or pā meant “foot” or “leg,” and jāma “clothing” or “garment.”

The dictionary says the term originally referred to “loose trousers, usually of silk or cotton, tied round the waist, and worn by both sexes in some Asian and Middle Eastern countries.” As Oxford explains, “The loose trousers were adopted by Europeans living in Eastern countries, esp. for night wear, and the word came to be applied outside Asia (originally in trade use) to a sleeping suit of loose trousers and jacket.”

The OED’s earliest citation is from an 1800 memo about the wardrobe of the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India: “Memorandum relative to Tippoo Sultaun’s wardrobe … 3d, pai jamahs, or drawers” (published in The Asiatic Annual Register, 1801).

Interestingly, “pajamas,” the preferred American spelling, showed up before “pyjamas,” the British preference, according to OED citations: “He usually undresses, puts on his pajamas (the loose Turkish trouser).” From The Hand-Book of India, by Joachim Hayward Stocqueler, London, 1844.

The “y” spelling first appeared more than three decades later: “I relinquished my English chemise de nuit and took to pyjamas—bedclothes are not used at this time of year [in Japan].” From a Sept. 6, 1878, diary entry in Round the World in Six Months (1879), by Edward Smith Bridges.

The OED’s earliest example for the abbreviated version is in a 1930 letter from a new cadet at West Point to his parents: “Shirts, sheets, P.J.s, sox, etc.” From Cradle of Valor: The Intimate Letters of a Plebe at West Point Between the Two World Wars (1988), by Dale O. Smith.

The next citation is from a caption in the New Yorker (March 12, 1949): “Toothpaste, check; change of linen, check; pj’s, check.” And the third is from Saul Bellow’s novel Herzog (1964): “Put on those p-j’s now.”

And the most recent cite is from the January 2002 issue of B magazine: “I’d arranged to meet Matt for lunch at 1pm, but was still in my PJs at 12.45pm. He ended up waiting an hour.”

Help support the Grammarphobia Blog with your donation. And check out our books about the English language. For a change of pace, read Chapter 1 of Swan Song, a comic novel.

Pyjamas or pajamas (American English), often shortened to PJs, jimmies, jimjams or jammies, can refer to several related types of clothing. Pajamas are loose-fitting, two-piece garments derived from the original garment and worn chiefly for sleeping,^[1] but sometimes also for lounging,^[2] also by both sexes.^[3] More generally, pajamas may refer to several garments, for both daywear and nightwear, derived from traditional pajamas and involving variations of style and material.

The word pyjama ^[4] was incorporated into the English language via the British Empire from c. 1800 through the Bengali pajāmā, itself from the Persian word pāy-jāmeh (پايجامه lit. «leg-garment»). The original pyjāmā are loose, lightweight trousers fitted with drawstring waistbands worn by Muslims in India and adopted by Europeans there.^[5]

History

The word pyjama was incorporated into the English language via Bengali. The word originally derives from Persian پايجامه pāyjāmeh meaning ‘leg-garment’. The word originally referred to loose trousers tied around the waist.

The worldwide use of pajamas (the word and the garment) is the result of British presence in India in the 18th and 19th centuries, and British influence on the wider Western world during the Victorian era. Pajamas had been introduced to England as «lounging attire» as early as the 17th century, then known as mogul’s breeches (Beaumont and Fletcher) but they soon fell out of fashion again. The word pajama (as pai jamahs, Paee-jams and variants) is recorded in English use in the first half of the 19th century, but they only become a fashion in Britain and the Western world as a sleeping attire for men in the Victorian period, from about 1870.^[6]

Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases (1886) summarizes the state of usage at the time (s.v. «pyjammas»):

Types

Traditional

Traditional pajamas consist of a jacket-and-trousers combination made of soft fabric, such as flannel;^[8] The jacket element usually has a placket front and its sleeves have no cuffs.^[9] For a number of reasons (increased freedom of movement, aesthetic appeal, etc.) many men opt to sleep or lounge barechested in just the pajama trousers.

In colloquial speech, these traditional pajamas are often called PJs, jim jams, or jammies;^[10] while in South Asia and South Africa, they are sometimes referred to as night suits.

Some pajamas feature a drop seat (also known as a trap door or butt flap): a buttoned opening in the seat, designed to allow the wearer to conveniently use a toilet. Drop seats were very common on pajamas made before the 1950s, but today they are rather rare.

Contemporary

Contemporary pajamas are derived from traditional pajamas. There are many variations in style such as short sleeve pajamas,^[11] pajama bottoms of varying length,^[12] or, on occasion, one-piece pyjamas,^[13] and pajamas incorporating various materials.

Chiefly in the US, stretch-knit sleep apparel with rib-knit trimmings are common. Usually worn by children, these garments often have pullover tops (if two-piece) or have zippers down the fronts (if one-piece), and may also be footed.

Although pajamas are usually distinguished from non-bifurcated sleeping garments such as nightgowns, in the US, they can sometimes include the latter, as in babydoll pyjamas.^[14]

Daywear

Pajamas may today refer to women’s combination daywear, especially in the US where they became popular in the early 20th century, consisting of short-sleeved or sleeveless blouses and lightweight trousers. Examples of these include capri pajamas, beach pajamas, and hostess pajamas.^[15]

Construction

Pajamas are usually loose fitting and designed for comfort, using soft materials such as cotton or the more luxurious silk or satin. Synthetic materials such as polyester and Lycra are also available.

Pajamas often contain visual references to a thing that may hold some special appeal to the wearer. Images of sports, animals, balloons, polka dots, flowers, stripes, plaids, foulards, paisleys and other motifs may all be used to decorate them. Pajamas may also be found in plainer designs, such as plaid or plain gray, but when worn in public, they are usually designed in such a way that makes their identity unambiguous. Older styles of children’s pajamas have been depicted as having a square button-up flap covering the buttocks.

Sociology

Pajamas are often worn with bare feet and sometimes without underwear. They are often worn as comfort wear even when not in bed.

Some people wear pajamas in public, whether for convenience or as a fashion statement.^[16][17]

In 2006 the gulf state of UAE banned local government workers from wearing pajamas to work.^[18]

The Tesco supermarket in St Mellons, Cardiff, United Kingdom started a ban on customers wearing pajamas in January 2010.^[19]

In January 2012, a local Dublin branch of the Government’s Department of Social Protection advised that pajamas were not regarded as appropriate attire when attending the office for welfare services.^[20]

In January 2012, Michael Williams, a commissioner in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, proposed an ordinance prohibiting people from wearing pajamas in public. Caddo Parish already has a law against wearing sagging pants below the waist, but Williams is pushing for a law against pajama pants after seeing a group of young men wearing loose fitting pajama pants that were about to show their private parts. According to Williams, «The moral fiber in our community is dwindling. If not now, when? Because it’s pajama pants today, next it will be underwear tomorrow.” ^[21][22]

Williams’ concerns are reflected in many school and work dress codes. Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vermont, banned pajamas in 2011, concerned that they could be a safety hazard.^[23]

Gallery

• 

• 

  Courier in white paijama, India, 1844.

• 

  Men in white paijama with hunting cheetahs, India 1844.

• Muslim men bombay1867.jpg

  Muslim men in paijamas (various styles), Bombay, 1867

• Muslim girl sind1870.jpg

  Muslim woman, in Sind, British India, in salwar style pyjamas, 1870.

See also

• Blanket sleeper
• Sleepover
• Nightgown
• Sleep

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pyjamas.

Look up pajamas in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Gao Yubin, The Pyjama Game Closes in Shanghai. New York Times. May 14, 2010. Accessed May 18, 2010.