Burga

/ˈbɜɹɡə/ noun

Definition

In South Asian contexts, variant spelling or related term to burqa; a long garment worn by some Muslim women that covers the entire body and face.

Etymology

From Urdu/Hindi burqa, from Persian burqu 'covering.' The term has numerous English spellings reflecting different transliteration systems from South Asian languages.

Kelly Says

The word burga (or burqa) traces back to Persian, but its meaning and usage shifted dramatically as it moved through Islamic cultures—what's traditional in Afghanistan is entirely different from practices in urban Pakistan.

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