Claimed to be borrowed from Fulfulde by Abdulrazaq Mohammed Katibi. See Fula deftere, Fula defte, Maasina Fula dewtere from Arabic دَفْتَر (daftar). Probably via Middle Persian dptl (daftar), from Aramaic דפתרא / ܕܦܬܪܐ, originally from Ancient Greek διφθέρα (diphthéra). Compare likely cognate term Baatonum tireru, possibly also from Fulfulde.