Early 17th century. From Persian fūta, fūṭa (apparently in an Indo-Persian form fota) rectangular piece of cloth used as napkin, towel, turban-cloth, loin-cloth, etc.; further etymology disputed. Arabic fūṭa is variously regarded as a borrowing of the Persian word or as its etymon; if the cloth is of Indian origin, both are perhaps ultimately from Hindi phūṭā broken, dispersed.