*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of pukka

From Hindi पक्का (pakkā, “certain, sure”), Punjabi ਪੱਕਾ (pakkā, “mature, ripe; cooked; strong, substantial; genuine, sound, true, valid”) and Urdu پکا (pakkā, “mature, ripe; cooked; strong, substantial; genuine, sound, t

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 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.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
adj

Genuine or authentic; hence of behaviour: correct, socially acceptable or proper. · Constructed as a permanent building, with high-quality materials (especially fired clay bricks and tiles as opposed to unfired mud and thatch). · Superior or of high quality; first-class; excellent.

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

From Hindi पक्का (pakkā, “certain, sure”), Punjabi ਪੱਕਾ (pakkā, “mature, ripe; cooked; strong, substantial; genuine, sound, true, valid”) and Urdu پکا (pakkā, “mature, ripe; cooked; strong, substantial; genuine, sound, true, valid”), from Sanskrit पक्व (pakva, “baked, cooked, roasted”), from पचति (pacati, “to bake, cook, roast”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hi",
        "3": "पक्का",
        "4": "",
        "5": "certain, sure"
      },
      "expansion": "Hindi पक्का (pakkā, “certain, sure”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "pa",
        "3": "ਪੱਕਾ",
        "4": "",
        "5": "mature, ripe; cooked; strong, substantial; genuine, sound, true, valid"
      },
      "expansion": "Punjabi ਪੱਕਾ (pakkā, “mature, ripe; cooked; strong, substantial; genuine, sound, true, valid”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ur",
        "3": "پکا",
        "4": "",
        "5": "mature, ripe; cooked; strong, substantial; genuine, sound, true, valid",
        "tr": "pakkā"
      },
      "expansion": "Urdu پکا (pakkā, “mature, ripe; cooked; strong, substantial; genuine, sound, true, valid”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sa",
        "3": "पक्व",
        "4": "",
        "5": "baked, cooked, roasted"
      },
      "expansion": "Sanskrit पक्व (pakva, “baked, cooked, roasted”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "पक्का",
      "पक्का#Hindi"
    ],
    [
      "certain",
      "certain"
    ],
    [
      "sure",
      "sure"
    ],
    [
      "ਪੱਕਾ",
      "ਪੱਕਾ#Punjabi"
    ],
    [
      "mature",
      "mature#Adjective"
    ],
    [
      "ripe",
      "ripe"
    ],
    [
      "cooked",
      "cooked#Adjective"
    ],
    [
      "strong",
      "strong"
    ],
    [
      "substantial",
      "substantial"
    ],
    [
      "genuine",
      "genuine"
    ],
    [
      "sound",
      "sound#Adjective"
    ],
    [
      "true",
      "true#Adjective"
    ],
    [
      "valid",
      "valid"
    ],
    [
      "پکا",
      "پکا#Urdu"
    ],
    [
      "पक्व",
      "पक्व#Sanskrit"
    ],
    [
      "baked",
      "baked#Adjective"
    ],
    [
      "roasted",
      "roasted#Adjective"
    ],
    [
      "पचति",
      "पचति#Sanskrit"
    ],
    [
      "bake",
      "bake#Verb"
    ],
    [
      "cook",
      "cook#Verb"
    ],
    [
      "roast",
      "roast#Verb"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Genuine or authentic; hence of behaviour: correct, socially acceptable or proper.",
        "Constructed as a permanent building, with high-quality materials (especially fired clay bricks and tiles as opposed to unfired mud and thatch).",
        "Superior or of high quality; first-class; excellent."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "South-Asia",
        "UK",
        "slang"
      ],
      "recordId": "8ee15481933d08ff7fe675946c636b4b1535b47001b2bceda6e6c9509e37ec18",
      "rawRecordSha256": "7937bbbd891dd920eb3a8650e8af822fb392333e7f4a29420466a7f644d091ac",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 241726
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "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 pukka →

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-cHVra2E