kontusz

plural kontuszes

1. historicalA type of outer garment popular in the 16th century worn by Hungarian and Polish–Lithuanian noblemen, which in the 17th century (worn over a żupan) became a notable element of male Polish national and Zaporozhian Cossack attire.

   Therefore, before they followed the Judge to the wood, they had assumed a different bearing, and put on different attire, linen dusters suitable for a stroll, with which they covered and protected their kontuszes; […]

   1917, Adam Mickiewicz, George Rapall Noyes, “Flirtation”, in Pan Tadeusz, or The Last Foray in Lithuania […], London; Toronto, Ont.: J[oseph] M[alaby] & Sons Ltd.; […], →OCLC, page 70

   3 more examples

   Brief were the Judge’s avuncular greetings, he gave, with great dignity, his hand to be kissed and then, save for kissing his nephew’s temple in greeting, deferred to the others, saying little to him, but his tears, which he quickly wiped off on the sleeve of his kontusz, showed how much love he had for his nephew Tadeusz. […] The Judge threw a quick glance at his nephew Tadeusz, then, fiddling a moment with the sleeves of his kontusz, he poured out some Hungarian wine, and spoke: […]

   1971, The Polish Review, volume XVI, New York, N.Y.: Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America, →ISSN, →OCLC, pages 46 and 49

   My uncle’s wife was also painted on an oil on canvas painting by portraitist Maria Wodzicka while her husband, my uncle, is on a portrait showing him in a kontusz, the traditional Polish nobleman’s dress used in Poland up until the Second World War on formal occasions as a possible substitute of a white tie which on the other side was preferred by my great-grandfather. The leading tailor for the kontusz was Imperial-Royal Warrant holder C. A. Frank in Vienna.

   2016, Rafael de Weryha-Wysoczański, “Birth and Childhood in Poland”, in A Chevalier from Poland: The Memoirs of Chevalier Rafael de Weryha-Wysoczański, Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire: Matador, →ISBN, page 13

   Now he looks at the band in which the sides of his new kontusz are finished. He has worn the new one, but now he sees it is too showy, too elegant. […] He wipes his sweaty hands discreetly on the sides of his kontusz.

   2021, Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Jennifer Croft, “An ocean of questions that will sink even the strongest battleship”, in The Books of Jacob: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Riverhead Books, published 2022, →ISBN, page 350