Pyjama" redirects here. For other m

Pyjama" redirects here. For other meanings of "pyjama" or "pajama" or similar see Pajamas (disambiguation).


Muslim girl, India, in paijama and kurti, 1844.
Pajamas in US English, spelled pyjamas in British English (see also spelling differences), often shortened to PJs or jammies, can refer to several related types of clothing. The original pāijāma are loose, lightweight trousers fitted with drawstring waistbands and worn in South and West Asia by both sexes.[1] Outside South Asia, especially in English-speaking nations, pajamas are loose-fitting, two-piece garments derived from the original garment and worn chiefly for sleeping,[2] but sometimes also for lounging,[3] also by both sexes.[4] More generally, pajamas may refer to several garments, for both daywear and nightwear, derived from traditional pajamas and involving variations of style and material.
The word pyjama or pajama, which originally derives from the Persian word پايجامه (pāyjāmeh, from pāy 'leg' and jāmeh 'garment'), was incorporated into the English language during the British Raj through the Hindustani language (the progenitor language of modern-day Urdu and Hindi).[5]