Khangas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Pieces of cloth traditionally worn as garments or headscarves in certain cultures ; decorative fabric squares used for adornment or practical purposes ; rectangular cloths serving as clothing accessories or cultural symbols in various communities
2. Fabric items generally used for dress or ceremonial coverings ; cloth squares utilized as fashion or functional wraps ; textile pieces worn around the body or head in customary attire
3. Distinctive cloth items often found in cultural dress or rituals ; ornamental or utilitarian fabric segments worn for style or modesty ; customary garments made from sections of decorated or plain cloth

Etymology: "Khangas" is the plural of "khanga," a brightly printed cotton wrap worn across East Africa, most famously in Kenya, Tanzania and the Comoros. Each piece is typically a rectangle of cloth bordered with a motif and often carries a Swahili proverb, or "methali," printed along its edge, so a woman might wrap herself in a message as much as in fabric. The singular "khanga" is the form that English borrowed, taken from Swahili, the Bantu language of the Swahili coast where these cloths have long been worn. Its plural keeps the Swahili pattern, which is why English speakers encounter the form "khangas" when more than one wrap is meant.