Pukka sahib ( ) is a slang term taken from the
Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
words for "substantial" (literally "ripe") and "master". Among
English users, "pukka" came to signify "first class" or "absolutely genuine", so that the combined phrase can be translated as "true gentleman" or "excellent fellow". The expression was used in the
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
exclusively to refer to White people of
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
an extraction and frequently to describe an attitude which British administrators were said to affect, that of an "aloof, impartial, incorruptible arbiter of the political fate of a large part of the earth's surface."
The word "pukka" is still used informally in 21st-century Britain to describe something as excellent.
See also
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Sahib
Sahib or Saheb () is a term of address originating from Arabic (). As a loanword, ''Sahib'' has passed into several languages, including Persian, Kurdish, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Uzbek, Turkmen, Tajik, Crimean Tatar, Urdu, Hi ...
*
Pukka Pies
Pukka Pies is a manufacturer of pies based in Syston, Leicestershire, England.
Products
The company's products include single-serve and sharing pies, sausage rolls, pasties, catering sausages, frozen puff pastry, and non-meat foods, with ...
References
British English idioms
Indian slang
Pakistani slang
Indian English idioms
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