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Where does the word "pukka" come from? It comes from Hindi pakka, and was adopted directly into English (1700s-1800s).
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Where does the word "pukka" come from? It comes from Hindi pakka, and was adopted directly into English (1700s-1800s).
Pukka’s story begins in Hindi: pakka meant “solid, genuine, ripe.” Literally "cooked" or "ripe", meaning solid or genuine. It reached English by 1700s-1800s as pukka. Hindi 'cooked, ripe'; chef Jamie Oliver revived it as British slang in the 1990s. Today, pukka means genuine, authentic, or of excellent quality.
- Stage 1 · Hindi · medieval pakka "solid, genuine, ripe", literally "cooked" or "ripe", meaning solid or genuine.
- Stage 2 · English · 1700s-1800s pukka "genuine, first-rate", Hindi 'cooked, ripe'; chef Jamie Oliver revived it as British slang in the 1990s.