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pol·ka

(pōlkə, pōkə)

1. A lively dance in duple meter, originating in Bohemia and performed by couples.

2. The music for this dance.

v.intr. pol·kaed, pol·ka·ing, pol·kas

To dance the polka.

[Czech, probably from Polish, from Polka, Polish woman, feminine of Polak, Pole; see pelə-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

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:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

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.

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