Etymology Map
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Panga

2 stages from Swahili to English.

Today it means a large, broad-bladed African knife used as a tool or weapon, similar to a machete

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

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