Kathi

Kathi is a term with multiple meanings in South Asia. Depending on language and context, it can denote a weapon, a popular dish, or a regional or ethnic designation. The exact sense of the word varies by locality and tradition.

In several Indian languages, katthi or kathi means knife. The kathi traditionally refers to a curved, single-edged blade used as a tool or weapon. Variants exist across regions, and the term is sometimes applied to large or ceremonial blades as well as to everyday cutting knives.

One of the best-known uses is the kathi roll, a Kolkata street food. A paratha or roti is wrapped around a filling such as skewered kebab, sometimes egg and vegetables, with chutneys. The dish is widely associated with Calcutta’s culinary scene and is believed to have originated in the 1930s.

Ethnographic and regional uses include associations with the Kathiawar (Kathiawari) communities in Gujarat. The term Kathi is used in some contexts to refer to people from the Kathiawar peninsula and can appear as a surname. In each case, the meaning reflects local history and language.