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caf·tan or kaf·tan

(kăftăn′, -tən, kăf-tăn)

1. A full-length garment with elbow-length or long sleeves, worn chiefly in eastern Mediterranean countries.

2. A westernized version of this garment consisting of a loose, usually brightly colored waist-length or ankle-length tunic.

[Russian kaftan, from Ottoman Turkish qaftān (equivalent to Modern Turkish kaftan), from Old Turkic qaptan, alteration of earlier *qāp-tōn : qāp, sack + tōn, garment.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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