A variant or related term for almirah or similar storage furniture, possibly a transitional spelling between different regional forms.
Possibly a blend or variant of 'almirah' (Indian cupboard) influenced by similar storage-furniture terms, though the exact etymological path is unclear in historical records.
When multiple spelling variants exist for the same object across different colonial regions, it tells us something important: English speakers encountered the item in different places (India, the Middle East, etc.) and transliterated the foreign word phonetically each time, creating chaos that eventually resolved into standard spellings.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.