punkah

Where does the word "punkah" come from? It comes from Sanskrit paksha, passing through Hindi before entering English (late 1700s).

Punkah’s story begins in Sanskrit: paksha meant “wing.” Meant 'wing'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Hindi as pankha. Named a hand fan, evoking the flapping of bird wings. It reached English by late 1700s as punkah. British colonials in India adopted the word for a large cloth fan pulled by a servant. Today, punkah means a large fan, traditionally made of cloth on a frame and pulled by cord, used to cool a room in South Asia.

1. Stage 1 · Sanskrit · ancient paksha "wing", meant 'wing'.
2. Stage 2 · Hindi · medieval pankha "a hand fan", named a hand fan, evoking the flapping of bird wings.
3. Stage 3 · English · late 1700s punkah "a large swinging cloth fan used to cool a room", British colonials in India adopted the word for a large cloth fan pulled by a servant.