Pajamas began as trousers, not bedtime wear

There are numerous loanwords from Indian languages in the English language; however, few show such an example of semantic change as ‘pyjamas’.

There are numerous words in the English language which can be recognised as loanwords. With respect to Hindi, there have been numerous loanwords into the English language due to the rich linguistic history between India and Britain. Not only do we have words such as ‘shampoo’ and ‘loot’, but we also have words such as ‘bungalow’ and ‘jungle’.

During the early modern era, British merchants, soldiers and colonial officials were increasingly coming into contact with languages and cultures of the Indian subcontinent. It has become increasingly common for words from Indian languages to enter the English language. These words have changed over time and have often taken on new meanings. Over time, these words have become so common that it is easy to forget their origin from India.

One interesting idea is the word ‘pyjamas’.Today, pyjamas in British English and pyjamas in American English usually refer to sleepwear, but the word derives from Persian pāy-jāma, meaning ‘leg garment’, and entered English through South Asian usage. This derives from Persian, with the word meaning “leg robe”. ‘Pyjamas’ were traditionally comfortable loose trousers within South Asia. As the garment became associated with nightwear in Britain, the word gradually came to primarily refer to clothing worn for sleeping.

A common word for many is ‘shampoo ’, which translates to ‘press, knead and massage’ from the Hindi verb ‘chāmpnā’. The word entered English with a meaning associated with massaging or pressing the body before becoming associated with washing and treating the hair. Sake Dean Mahomed, an Indian traveller and entrepreneur, helped promote shampoo by opening up a ‘shampooing’ establishment within Brighton in 1814. Mahomed used his skills to provide his customers with an enjoyable massage and therapeutic bath.

‘Loot’ also has an easy translation. The word comes from the Hindi and Urdu ‘lūṭ ’, which means ‘to plunder’. Due to it coming from the colonial and military, ‘loot’ began to become a popular term within English. The word became established in English through contact with South Asia, including accounts of warfare and plunder during the colonial period. Now ‘loot’ is used to describe anything stolen or plundered.

Indian languages have also contributed words that English uses to describe buildings and landscapes. ‘Bungalow’ comes from the Hindi ‘baṅglā ’, which means anything relating to Bengal. Derived from Bengali baṅglā, meaning ‘Bengali’ or ‘in the Bengal style’, bungalow came to describe a particular type of low-rise house in English. This word is now a common term within English architecture. Jungle derives from Hindi jaṅgal, meaning wild or uncultivated land, although modern English often uses it to describe dense tropical vegetation.

Whilst many words are simple, some have more of an elaborate history. ‘Juggernaut’ comes from the name of the god Jagannath, one form of Krishna worshipped within Puri of Odisha. The term entered English through European accounts of the Rath Yatra festival in Puri, where the deity's image is carried in a ceremonial chariot. It later developed the figurative meaning of a powerful force that is difficult to stop.

Many familiar words such as ‘cot’, ‘dinghy’, ‘chutney’, ‘cheetah’, ‘thug’ and ‘dacoit’ all have links to loanwords due to the culture. ‘The word thug entered English through Indian usage and became associated with criminality in British colonial accounts of India. ‘Dacoit’ comes from the Hindi ‘ḍakait’ to mean thief. This demonstrates how many words have stemmed from the British descriptions of Indians.

The loanwords also became common within slang. Other words associated with British contact with South Asia include dekko, meaning ‘look’, cushy,meaning‘comfortable’ or ‘easy’, and blighty, a term British soldiers used for Britain or home. Each has its own linguistic history. ‘Blighty’ derives from the Hindi and Urdu ‘vilāyat ’, meaning a foreign country. However, in particular cases it can mean Britain.

However, not every word is simple. Many words associated with Hindi have actually come from the Persian/Sanskrit language. The history of loanwords can be complex because Hindi and Urdu have drawn on languages such as Persian and Sanskrit, while continuing to evolve through centuries of linguistic contact. For example, ‘pyjamas’ come from Persian.

Today we still see the influence of Indian culture on the English language. Indian English has developed its own vocabulary and expressions, shaped by India's multilingual society and cultural history. Words such as ‘jugaad’ (clever workaround) and ‘dadagiri’ (bullying/intimidation) show that terms in Indian culture have become common within English.

The Oxford English Dictionary records the word as used in Indian English. They also show the history of language exchange with South Asia. They also record how English words change worldwide.

In conclusion, words like pyjamas, shampoo, bungalow and juggernaut show us how languages change as a result of cultural exchange. Many of these words have changed meaning from trousers to sleepwear and a word for massage to a word for washing hair. Many of these words were adopted into English from South Asia; however, many of them can be traced back to languages like Persian and Sanskrit. This shows how English has never been a static language and has continuously changed due to the influence of Hindi and other Indian languages.

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