Pashmina Cashmere Directory

Pashmina Definition

"Pashmina" According to the Oxford English Dictionary, pashm, from the Persian word for "wool," refers to the underfur of certain Tibetan animals, particularly goats, commonly used for the making of shawls. In contrast, pashmina, as we've seen it on the Internet and in fashion magazines and mail-order catalogs, is a textile blend of silk and cashmere.

The word pashmina actually comes from the word 'pashm', meaning 'warmth'.

Pashmina Definition according to Dictionary.com : a fine woolen cloth with a soft plush texture similar to cashmere. Etymology: Persian 'woolen' from pashm 'wool'

Pashmina, meaning, "woven goat's wool" comes from the fleece of the central Asian mountain goat. This fleece is extremely fine and short and is protected by a thick covering of long, hard hairs, which serve to conserve the valuable undercoat.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary refers to shawl as
1. A square or oblong cloth of wool, cotton, silk, or other textile or netted fabric, used, especially by women, as a loose covering for the neck and shoulders.
India shawl - a kind of rich shawl made in India from the wool of the Cashmere goat. It is woven in pieces, which are sewed together.
Shawl goat - the Cashmere goat