Etymograph

English

kurta

Kurta comes from Classical Persian کرته ‘tunic, kirtle’, and perhaps goes back to Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- ‘to cut’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ker-1‘to cut’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*kr̥tá-ka1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Iranianprehistoric (reconstructed)*kurat-āka-1reconstructed
  4. Classical Persianc. 900–presentکرته2kurta‘tunic, kirtle’
  5. Urdumodernکرتا2kurtā
  6. Hindic. 1500–presentकुरता2kurtā
  7. Englishearliest quotation 2008kurta2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Persian کرته
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English kurta
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2008, Amitav Ghosh, Sea of Poppies: “Now her fingers began to unbutton the ivory studs…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ker-Wiktionary, Persian کرته‘to cut’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*kr̥tá-kaWiktionary, Persian کرتهreconstructed
  3. Proto-Iranianprehistoric (reconstructed)*kurat-āka-Wiktionary, Persian کرتهreconstructed
  4. Classical Persianc. 900–presentکرتهWiktionary, English kurtakurta‘tunic, kirtle’
  5. UrdumodernکرتاWiktionary, English kurtakurtā
  6. Hindic. 1500–presentकुरताWiktionary, English kurtakurtā
  7. Englishearliest quotation 2008kurtaWiktionary, English kurta. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2008, Amitav Ghosh, Sea of Poppies: “Now her fingers began to unbutton the ivory studs…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- ‘to cut’

across, share, card, short, cross, cancer, screen, score, circle, circuit, shirt, crucial, scare, circus, circulation, carnival, curve, scar, cancellation, scrutiny, shrine, skirt, crest, circa, curb, corona, shear, scorpion, incarceration, shred, carnage, raffle, circulate, carcinoma, corolla, scorn, shrewd, crux, shard, carnal, 118 more

Today it means

noun A traditional article of clothing worn in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, consisting of a loose, collarless, long-sleeved, knee-length shirt worn by both men and women.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “kurta”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Persian کرته. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- / kurta

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