شلوار

The word شلوار left Iran centuries ago and ended up in English by way of Hindi-Urdu (شلوار → "shalwar"), where it pairs with the long tunic in shalwar kameez. The next time you read about South Asian clothing in English, you are reading a Persian word in disguise. Inside Iran, traditional شلوار cuts survive most visibly in Kurdish, Lori, and Bakhtiari dress: pleated, wide at the leg, gathered at the ankle. In urban Tehran, شلوار means whatever Iranians are wearing that week, from cargo pants to office slacks. The word does not date. It just keeps adapting.