{{short description|Loose trousers of ancient origin}} {{redirect|Shalvar|the village in Iran|Shalvar, Iran}} thumb|19th century Ottomans dressed with Shalvar thumb|(1829) MADDEN, Richard Robert wearing Ottoman-style Shalvar in Syria
'''Sirwal''', also '''sherwal''', '''saroual''',<ref name=strachan/><ref name=pawly/> '''seroual''', '''sarouel''' or '''serouel'''<ref name=smith>Smith, Robin (1996)[https://books.google.com/books?id=de12oTxJqOwC&q=serouels&pg=PA52 ''American Civil War Zouaves'', p. 52. Osprey Publishing] At Google Books. Retrieved 23 August 2013.</ref> ({{langx|ar|سِرْوَال}} ''sirwāl''),{{refn|group=nb|{{langx|fa|شلوار}} (''šalvâr'')<br>{{langx|ku|شهواڵ}} (''shawal'')<br>Tat: ''şalvar''<br>{{langx|ur|شلوار}} (''shalwâr'')<br>{{langx|tr|şalvar}}<br>{{langx|az|şalvar}}<br>{{langx|kk|шалбар}} (''şalbar'')<br>{{langx|sh|(шалваре}})<br>{{langx|bn|সালোয়ার}} (''shalwar'')}} also known, in some contexts, as (a subtype of) Harem pants, are a form of trousers. The word is of Persian origin; {{lang|fa-Latn|shalwār}} ({{lang|fa|شلوار}}) was borrowed into Greek as {{lang|grc|σαράβαρα}} {{lang|grc-Latn|sarábāra}}, "loose trousers worn by Scythians". The words used in Balkan languages came through the Ottoman Turks and did not continue the Ancient Greek designation.<ref>F. Steingass: ''Persian–English Dictionary'', p. 758a; Liddell & Scott, ''A Greek–English Lexicon''</ref> They are typically worn in Muslim countries, but also extensively in the Polish Commonwealth, in Mallorca, in the Greek countryside, and other places in the Balkans that were influenced by Ottoman Turks prior to World War I. The trousers are not originally an Arab garment but were introduced from Persia to other Mideastern regions.<ref>"Sirwāl" in Walther Björkman ('''1997'''), ''Encyclopaedia of Islam'', 2nd ed., volume IX: San–Sze, edited by C. E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W. P. Heinrichs and the late G. Lecomte, Leiden: E. J. Brill, {{ISBN|90-04-10422-4}}, page 676</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.folkculturebh.org/ar/index.php?issue=2&page=showarticle&id=237|title=الثقافة الشعبية|website=www.folkculturebh.org|access-date=17 August 2018}}</ref> The sirwal is also worn by communities in North India.<ref>Sikh Cultural Centre., (2003) The Sikh Review, Volume 51, Issues 1-6; Volume 51, Issues 589-594 [https://books.google.com/books?id=Q7ElAQAAIAAJ&q=dress]</ref>
The drawstring allows the sirwal to be worn at either the waist or hip level.
==Types== It is usually made from cotton, linen, or polyester. Sometimes the cuff features embroidery.
There are two types of ''sirwal'', long and short. Short ''sarawil'' are worn by most Saudi men. Men of the Western Region usually wear long ''sarawil''.
==Uniforms== [[Image:Magic City2, Paris, 1913.jpeg|thumb|Algerian soldier of the French Army wearing seroual trousers as part of his zouave style uniform 1913.]] thumb|Long, white Sirwal
The seroual formed part of the standard uniform for the Mameluke<ref name=strachan>Strachan, Edward (2009) [https://books.google.com/books?id=ppFqRnZXNWsC&dq=mameluke+saroual&pg=PA150 ''Russian Orientalism & Constantinople'', p. 150. Sphinx Fine Art] At Google Books. Retrieved 23 August 2013.</ref><ref name=pawly>Pawly, Ronald (2012) [https://books.google.com/books?id=T3YWVpusV88C&q=saroual ''Napoleon's Mamelukes'', p. 46. Osprey Publishing] At Google Books. Retrieved 23 August 2013.</ref><ref>Thomas, Nigel (2012) [https://books.google.com/books?id=HGIyl-gI6bkC&q=saroual&pg=PA23 ''Armies in the Balkans 1914-18'', p. 23. Osprey Publishing.] At Google Books. Retrieved 23 August 2013.</ref> squadrons of Napoleon's Imperial Guard, and for the North African zouave, spahi and tirailleur regiments of the French Army from 1830 to 1962. The French Army version of the seroual was notable for being cut so widely that it did not require two separate trouser legs. During the American Civil War a number of volunteer regiments, designated as zouaves, also wore seroual breeches, though these were usually of ''chasseur'' design, being simply baggier versions of conventional trousers.<ref name=smith/>
==See also== {{commonscat}} * Pajamas * Sharovary * Turkish salvar
==Notes== {{reflist|group=nb}}
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Trousers and shorts Category:Arabic clothing Category:Middle Eastern clothing Category:Lebanese fashion Category:Islamic male clothing Category:Men's clothing