A fine cotton or linen fabric, or a type of East Indian fabric used historically for garments and furnishings.
Possibly from Indian languages or Portuguese colonial terminology, related to trade in fine textiles from South Asia. The word reflects the historical importance of Indian cottons in European commerce.
Calin represents how international trade literally changed people's wardrobes—before the 1600s, most Europeans wore wool and linen, but Indian cotton fabrics were so soft and beautiful that Europeans became obsessed with them.
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