panga

Where does the word "panga" come from? It comes from Swahili panga, and was adopted directly into English (1930s).

Panga’s story begins in Swahili: panga meant “a large broad-bladed knife.” A Bantu word for a heavy, broad blade used to cut brush and crops. It reached English by 1930s as panga. Borrowed into English during the colonial period in East Africa. Today, panga means a large, broad-bladed African knife used as a tool or weapon, similar to a machete.

1. Stage 1 · Swahili · 1800s panga "a large broad-bladed knife", a Bantu word for a heavy, broad blade used to cut brush and crops.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1930s panga "a large machete used as a tool or weapon", borrowed into English during the colonial period in East Africa.