The (Not So) Lowly Bandana

Sometimes losing an item takes you down a surprising road.

Over the weekend I inadvertently left my bandana behind at the hotel (see previous posts). Fortunately, I had brought a few new ones back with me last month. As I was unwrapping them, I noticed that the traditional print patterns -- largely paisley -- seemed very Indian. I had always assumed that "bandana" with its connections to cowboys, outlaws, and pirates, had a Spanish origin. But could it be Indian?

A trip to dictionary.com and Wikipedia revealed that "bandana" (or "bandanna") came to English from Hindi via the Portuguese. It's Hindi origins come from tie-dying. (India has been tie-dying and block-printing fabrics for centuries, not just since the 60s!)

So "bandana" joins "bungalow" and "ketchup" as English words with a South Asian back story.

This is a bandana I picked up a few years ago because I loved the unusual (for a bandana) pattern.
The label reads "Made in India".