Shawl Came to English From Persian
A shawl is a piece of fabric worn over the shoulders. The word and the garment both travelled from Persia and Kashmir.
A shawl is a piece of fabric worn loosely over the shoulders or head. Both word and garment came west along trade routes: Persian *shal* named a fine woollen cloth, and the Kashmir shawls of the eighteenth century became so fashionable in Europe that Scottish weavers in Paisley copied the pattern — which is why the teardrop motif is called *paisley* in English and *boteh* in its homeland. The imitation was so successful that a Scottish town's name replaced the original.
- A shoulder cloth. *A woollen shawl.*
- Kashmir shawl — the luxury original. *A Kashmir shawl.*
- Paisley — the copied pattern. *Paisley print.*
- Boteh — the motif's own name. *The boteh.*
- Persian — *shal*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | shawl | A shawl. |
| Plural | shawls | Shawls. |
| Compound | shawl collar | A shawl collar. |
| Persian | shal | A shawl. |
| Pattern | paisley | Paisley. |
- She wrapped a shawl around her shoulders.Clothing.
- Kashmir shawls were prized in Europe.History.
- Paisley copied the pattern.Textiles.
How paisley got its name
- The boteh motif is ancient in Persia and India
- Kashmir shawls reached Europe in the late 1700s and became a craze
- Demand outstripped supply and European weavers copied them
- Paisley in Scotland became the largest producer
- The town's name replaced the pattern's own in English
Persian *shal*, a fine woollen cloth, through Urdu and Hindi into English in the 1600s.
Why is the pattern called paisley?
Because the Scottish town of Paisley became Europe's biggest producer of imitation Kashmir shawls, and its name replaced the motif's original name.
What is the motif actually called?
Boteh in Persian, a teardrop shape with a curved upper end, ancient in Persian and Indian design.