1
Stage 1 of 3
paksha
Sanskrit · ancient
"wing"
meant 'wing'
2
Stage 2 of 3
pankha
Hindi · medieval
"a hand fan"
named a hand fan, evoking the flapping of bird wings
3
Stage 3 of 3
punkah
English · late 1700s
"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
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