I read in today's LA Times about "HAVELIS", old, ornate houses in India. The article mentions that the word "HAVELI" comes from Persian. Being Persian myself, I can't decipher the etymology of this word. Can someone please help?

Hmmm. Wonder if that's where the word hovel comes from...

From a book on Indian architecture I found on Project Gutenberg:


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The presence of such structures would justify translating the word haveli as a "courtyard house." But there is some disagreement among architectural historians, however, as to the exact etymology of the word haveli. Haveli are found across medieval northwestern India, from Gujarat to Rajasthan to even the Mughal city of Shahjahanabad (now Delhi). According to Stephen Blake, the term haveli is derived from Persian, and refers to the large walled mansions and open courtyards of the nobility and the rich. 24 Many of the standard art books on the Shekhawati haveli concur. 25 However, Catherine Asher has observed that the term haveli appears nowhere in the vocabulary of Mughal architecture. According to Asher (personal communication), the term probably originated in early modern Rajasthan to designate a new form of architectural synthesis of Rajput and Mughal domestic styles.
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So, basically, it's a mystery. Sorry.

Don't know if you ever got an answer to this, but Wikipedia thinks that Haveli is from a Persian word that meant "enclosed space." It did not say what that word might be, but perhaps that is enough of a clue to help, in case you didn't already know. Also, if you are aware of any good Persian etymologies written for English speakers learning Farsi I would LOVE to know about them!

i am Tagalog, H is also S sometimes .V in old form is pronounced as W.Thus, havelis can also be read as sawelis.In tagalog, there is "sawali'" , a wall made of bamboo flatened and can be decorated.Old houses were usually with walls called sawali.