tawaif

== English == === Etymology === Borrowed from Hindustani (Hindi तवायफ़ (tavāyaf) / Urdu طَوائِف (tavāif)), in turn derived from Classical Persian طَوَائِف (tawā'if), ultimately derived from Arabic طَوائِف (ṭawāʔif). === Pronunciation === (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Asia) IPA(key): /t̪ə.ʋɑː.ɪf/, /t̪ə.wɑː.ɪf/, /t̪ə.ʋɑː.jf/, /t̪ə.wɑː.jf/ === Noun === tawaif (plural tawaifs) (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Asia, historical) A professional courtesan serving the nobility, especially under the Mughal Empire; (derogatory) 2008, Gayatri Chatterjee, in Sahni, Shankar, Apte (Eds.), Prostitution and Beyond, p. 290: And since the British period, the reputation of a common prostitute has dogged the heels of the tawaif. (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Asia, derogatory) harlot, whore, prostitute