Khaki
Encyclopedia
This article is about the fabric
. For the color, see Khaki (color)
. Kaki, another name for the persimmon
, is often misspelled "Khaki".
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Khaki (icon, us, in Canada ˈ) is a type of fabric
or the color of such fabric
. Khaki is a loanword
incorporated from Hindustani
ख़ाकी and Urdu
خاکی (both meaning "ash-colored") and is originally derived from the Persian
: خاکی xɒːˈkiː (khâk, meaning "dust, "ashes"), which came to English from British India via the British Indian Army
.
raised a Corps of Guides
for frontier service from British Indian recruits at Peshawar
. Lumsden was of the view that the border troops were best dressed in their native costume, which consisted of a smock and white pajama trousers made of a coarse home-spun cotton, and a cotton turban, supplemented by a leather or padded cotton jacket for cold weather. For the first year, no attempt was made at uniformity. Subsequently, the material was dyed locally with a dye prepared from a native palm, called "mazari". This created a drab gray which was used historically by Afghan tribals for camouflaging themselves. However, mazari could not dye leather jackets, and an alternative was sought. Cloth was dyed in mulberry
juice which gave a yellowish drab shade, today referred to as "khaki".
Subsequently all regiments, whether British or Indian, serving in the region had adopted properly dyed khaki uniforms for active service and summer dress. The original khaki fabric was a closely twilled cloth of linen
or cotton
.
) under the command of general Sir Robert Napier to release some British captives and to "persuade the Abyssinian King Theodore
, forcibly if necessary, to mend his ways".
Subsequently, the British Army
adopted khaki for the campaign dress in 1897, and it was used in the Second Boer War
(1899–1902). A darker shade of khaki serge
was adopted for home service dress in 1902. The correct shade of "khaki" was also known as "Multani Mitti", meaning "the mud of Multan". Multan
was a well known military cantonment
of British India (now in Pakistan).
During the Second Boer War
, the British forces became known as Khakis because of their uniforms. After victory in the war the government called an election, which became known as the khaki election
, a term used subsequently for elections called to exploit public approval of governments immediately after victories.
adopted khaki during the Spanish American War (1898). It has become de rigueur for military uniforms of militaries
the world over (e.g., the United States Navy
and the United States Marine Corps
), as well as the police forces of many South Asian countries and U.S. state
s and counties. It has also spread to civilian
clothing, where "khakis" since the 1950s has meant tan cotton twill
pants
/trousers
.
"Khaki" has also become a common slang term in the United States Navy that refers to chief petty officer
s and officers (who wear a khaki-colored uniform
).
pants/trousers, and includes other cuts and fabric types (such as chinos).
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
. For the color, see Khaki (color)
Khaki (color)
The name of the color khaki coined in British India comes from the Hindustani language , meaning "dusty, dust covered or earth colored." It has been used by many armies around the world for uniforms, including camouflage...
. Kaki, another name for the persimmon
Persimmon
A persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros in the ebony wood family . The word Diospyros means "the fire of Zeus" in ancient Greek. As a tree, it is a perennial plant...
, is often misspelled "Khaki".
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
or the color of such fabric
Khaki (color)
The name of the color khaki coined in British India comes from the Hindustani language , meaning "dusty, dust covered or earth colored." It has been used by many armies around the world for uniforms, including camouflage...
. Khaki is a loanword
Loanword
A loanword is a word borrowed from a donor language and incorporated into a recipient language. By contrast, a calque or loan translation is a related concept where the meaning or idiom is borrowed rather than the lexical item itself. The word loanword is itself a calque of the German Lehnwort,...
incorporated from Hindustani
Hindustani language
Hindi-Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language and the lingua franca of North India and Pakistan. It is also known as Hindustani , and historically, as Hindavi or Rekhta...
ख़ाकी and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
خاکی (both meaning "ash-colored") and is originally derived from the Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
: خاکی xɒːˈkiː (khâk, meaning "dust, "ashes"), which came to English from British India via the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
.
Origin
In 1846 Sir Harry LumsdenHarry Burnett Lumsden
Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Burnett "Joe" Lumsden was a British military officer active in India.Lumsden was born aboard the East India Company’s ship Rose in the Bay of Bengal, the son of a British Army Colonel Thomas Lumsden, C.B...
raised a Corps of Guides
Corps of Guides (British India)
The Corps of Guides was a regiment of the British Indian Army which served in the North West Frontier and had a unique composition of being part infantry and part cavalry.-History:...
for frontier service from British Indian recruits at Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
. Lumsden was of the view that the border troops were best dressed in their native costume, which consisted of a smock and white pajama trousers made of a coarse home-spun cotton, and a cotton turban, supplemented by a leather or padded cotton jacket for cold weather. For the first year, no attempt was made at uniformity. Subsequently, the material was dyed locally with a dye prepared from a native palm, called "mazari". This created a drab gray which was used historically by Afghan tribals for camouflaging themselves. However, mazari could not dye leather jackets, and an alternative was sought. Cloth was dyed in mulberry
Mulberry
Morus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae. The 10–16 species of deciduous trees it contains are commonly known as Mulberries....
juice which gave a yellowish drab shade, today referred to as "khaki".
Subsequently all regiments, whether British or Indian, serving in the region had adopted properly dyed khaki uniforms for active service and summer dress. The original khaki fabric was a closely twilled cloth of linen
Linen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
or cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
.
British Army
Khaki-colored uniforms were used officially by British troops for the first time during the Abyssinian campaign of 1867-68, when Indian troops traveled to Ethiopia (AbyssiniaEthiopian Empire
The Ethiopian Empire also known as Abyssinia, covered a geographical area that the present-day northern half of Ethiopia and Eritrea covers, and included in its peripheries Zeila, Djibouti, Yemen and Western Saudi Arabia...
) under the command of general Sir Robert Napier to release some British captives and to "persuade the Abyssinian King Theodore
Tewodros II of Ethiopia
Tewodros II was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1855 until his death....
, forcibly if necessary, to mend his ways".
- "This was the first major campaign in which some of the troops wore khaki, which had been officially introduced as approved working dress in 1861. Although approval was withdrawn in 1864, many troops, particularly those who had seen active service on the North-West Frontier (Pakistan), continued to dye their white drill uniforms with tea leaves or other substances. Khaki ('dusty') was said to have been invented by Lieutenant (later Lieutenant-general) Harry LumsdenHarry Burnett LumsdenLieutenant-General Sir Harry Burnett "Joe" Lumsden was a British military officer active in India.Lumsden was born aboard the East India Company’s ship Rose in the Bay of Bengal, the son of a British Army Colonel Thomas Lumsden, C.B...
when, in December 1846, he founded the Corps of GuidesCorps of Guides (British India)The Corps of Guides was a regiment of the British Indian Army which served in the North West Frontier and had a unique composition of being part infantry and part cavalry.-History:...
."
Subsequently, the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
adopted khaki for the campaign dress in 1897, and it was used in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
(1899–1902). A darker shade of khaki serge
Serge
Serge is a type of twill fabric that has diagonal lines or ridges on both sides, made with a two-up, two-down weave. The worsted variety is used in making military uniforms, suits, great coats and trench coats. Its counterpart, silk serge, is used for linings. French serge is a softer, finer variety...
was adopted for home service dress in 1902. The correct shade of "khaki" was also known as "Multani Mitti", meaning "the mud of Multan". Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
was a well known military cantonment
Cantonment
A cantonment is a temporary or semi-permanent military or police quarters. The word cantonment is derived from the French word canton meaning corner or district, as is the name of the Cantons of Switzerland. In South Asia, the term cantonment also describes permanent military stations...
of British India (now in Pakistan).
During the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, the British forces became known as Khakis because of their uniforms. After victory in the war the government called an election, which became known as the khaki election
Khaki Election
In British political history, a khaki election is any national election which is heavily influenced by wartime or postwar sentiment. In the British general election of 1900, the Conservative Party government of Lord Salisbury was returned to office with an increased majority over the Liberal Party...
, a term used subsequently for elections called to exploit public approval of governments immediately after victories.
US Army
The United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
adopted khaki during the Spanish American War (1898). It has become de rigueur for military uniforms of militaries
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
the world over (e.g., the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
), as well as the police forces of many South Asian countries and U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s and counties. It has also spread to civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
clothing, where "khakis" since the 1950s has meant tan cotton twill
Twill
Twill is a type of textile weave with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs . This is done by passing the weft thread over one or more warp threads and then under two or more warp threads and so on, with a "step" or offset between rows to create the characteristic diagonal pattern. Because of this...
pants
Trousers
Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately...
/trousers
Trousers
Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately...
.
"Khaki" has also become a common slang term in the United States Navy that refers to chief petty officer
Chief Petty Officer
A chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.-Canada:"Chief Petty Officer" refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...
s and officers (who wear a khaki-colored uniform
Uniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
).
Civilian use
Today, civilian "khakis" come in all ranges of colors and the term refers more to the particular design or cut of the pants/trousers. In this context, "Khakis" have become popular as business casualBusiness casual
Business casual is a popular dress code in professional and white-collar workplaces in Western countries. In the United States, 43% of non-self-employed workers commonly wear casual business attire. Casual street wear is the next most common work attire , closely followed by uniforms...
pants/trousers, and includes other cuts and fabric types (such as chinos).
See also
- Khaki electionKhaki ElectionIn British political history, a khaki election is any national election which is heavily influenced by wartime or postwar sentiment. In the British general election of 1900, the Conservative Party government of Lord Salisbury was returned to office with an increased majority over the Liberal Party...
- Khaki UniversityKhaki UniversityKhaki University was a Canadian educational institution set up and managed by the general staff of the Canadian Army in Britain 1917-19 during the First World War and again 1945-46 in the Second.-History:-Founders:...
- Khaki drillKhaki drillKhaki drill or KD was the term for a type of fabric and the British military uniforms made from them. Khaki Drill was worn as a combat uniform from 1900 to 1949 but is a variant, still referred to a Khaki Drill or KD's is worn by the UK Armed Forces, in non combatatant warm weather countries where...
- Chino clothChino clothChino cloth is a twill fabric, originally made of 100% cotton. Today it is also found in cotton-synthetic blends.Developed in the mid-19th century for British and French military uniforms and known as khaki, it has since migrated into civilian wear. Pants of such a fabric gained popularity in the...
- Cargo pantsCargo pantsCargo pants are loosely-cut pants designed for tough, outdoor activities distinguished by multiple cargo pockets.A cargo pocket is a form patch pocket with accordion folds for increased capacity closed with a flap secured by snap, button, or Velcro common on battledress and hunting clothing.Cargo...
External links
- Origins of Khaki - The Khaki Cloth - Mangaloreans' Gift to the World
- What is khaki? - The story of the catechuCatechuFor the region in India, see Kutch District.Catechu is an extract of any of several species of Acacia—but especially Acacia catechu—produced by boiling the wood in water and evaporating the resulting brew....
's use as a dye for khaki clothing