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1. One of a number of dots or round spots forming a pattern, as on cloth.
2. A pattern or fabric with such dots.
[So named during a European fad for polka dancing in the 1840s, when various items fashionable at the time were named after the dance (comparepolka jacket, a woman's tight-fitting knitted jacket, andpolka hat, a certain style of hat).]
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.