English word origin

Etymology of puka

Borrowed from Hawaiian puka (“hole”).

3 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 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 small, usually perforated, wave- and beach-polished shell fragment formed from the spire of a cone, found along beaches of Pacific islands, and used especially to make necklaces.

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

Borrowed from Hawaiian puka (“hole”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionpukahaw

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "haw",
        "3": "puka",
        "4": "",
        "5": "hole"
      },
      "expansion": "Hawaiian puka (“hole”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "puka",
      "puka#Hawaiian"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A small, usually perforated, wave- and beach-polished shell fragment formed from the spire of a cone, found along beaches of Pacific islands, and used especially to make necklaces."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "0f544f2e2efc992374e48de557e82cb427dd3fd3ff3abd761e77375921b25dd4",
      "rawRecordSha256": "290ac1449031d73a7dbe1559e20a2c21187d0278e20ac64c1f7125f20a197658",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 197816
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Alternative form of pooka.

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

Borrowed from Irish púca (“hobgoblin”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionpúcaga

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ga",
        "3": "púca",
        "4": "",
        "5": "hobgoblin"
      },
      "expansion": "Irish púca (“hobgoblin”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "púca",
      "púca#Irish"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of pooka."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ],
      "recordId": "0a6e83bc4eac15f6ecfc08c68f24f896923e60718dbc9270d15583ac60c34222",
      "rawRecordSha256": "6c1b19c6adaa84848866795098d28b0461f115fa6323f801a912667f798311f9",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 197817
    }
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  }
}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

The evergreen tree Meryta sinclairii, endemic to New Zealand. · The epiphytic plant Griselinia lucida, native to New Zealand.

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

From Māori puka.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionpukami

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "mi",
        "3": "puka"
      },
      "expansion": "Māori puka"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "puka",
      "puka#Māori"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The evergreen tree Meryta sinclairii, endemic to New Zealand.",
        "The epiphytic plant Griselinia lucida, native to New Zealand."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "7e9da3b68a7d9804b0b72f0910b158c59bf9e502fc47e6d398a9b57e1001966f",
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 197818
    }
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  }
}

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 puka →

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-cHVrYQ