*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of dak

Borrowed from Hindustani डाक / ڈاک (ḍāk).

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

A post system by means of transport relays of horses stationed at intervals along a route or network, carrying mail and passengers. · A dak bungalow. · A journey using the dak system.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Hindustani डाक / ڈاک (ḍāk).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "inc-hnd"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Hindustani"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "डाक",
      "डाक#Hindi"
    ],
    [
      "ڈاک",
      "ڈاک#Urdu"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A post system by means of transport relays of horses stationed at intervals along a route or network, carrying mail and passengers.",
        "A dak bungalow.",
        "A journey using the dak system."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "South-Asia",
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "recordId": "d01687403ce0f1d90de14eab1c398aa48cb9cc9309af5203407b1b2e7307d4c5",
      "rawRecordSha256": "f5279cf0a4c9411de8f62ac315b6fc6ab0bf9c698f95111aebeb7593f24f4637",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 433715
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To suddenly pull down someone's pants as a prank; to pants.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Back-formation from daks.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "back-form",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "daks"
      },
      "expansion": "Back-formation from daks"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "daks",
      "daks#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To suddenly pull down someone's pants as a prank; to pants."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Australia",
        "informal"
      ],
      "recordId": "58744f9540423588ea11a7361df216d6cd696a58793fd79b796a8c16a65537e6",
      "rawRecordSha256": "77f67e9542856f9f4be48955675d7675699a004b080d5f58f845e4a6cdc237b0",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 433716
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for dak →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-ZGFr