shaal

Shaal is a term with multiple uses across languages and contexts. In South Asia, shaal is a transliteration variant of the word shawl, a long rectangular or square piece of fabric worn over the shoulders or head for warmth or adornment. In Hindi and Urdu writing, the garment is commonly rendered asशाल or شال, and English texts may appear with either spelling. The form shaal reflects phonetic rendering in these languages and can appear on product labels, catalogs, and regional literature. The English standard is shawl, derived from Persian shāl, with influence from Turkish and other languages; thus, shaal and shawl are closely related transliterations of the same garment.

In Hebrew, shaʾal (transliterated shaal or sha’al in some renderings) is a root meaning to ask or inquire. It appears in biblical and liturgical contexts as a verb and in related forms, illustrating how transliteration can connect different linguistic families through shared consonants.

There are also occasional uses of shaal as a personal name or place name in various cultures, though these are less common and not standardized. The term is primarily recognized today as a variant spelling linked to shawl and as a transliteration artifact in multilingual contexts.