polka

Via French and German from Czech polka, variant of půlka (“half”) as in "half-step"; see půl (“half”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɒl.kə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpoʊ(l)kə/ (always /ˈpoʊkə/ in polka dot)
• Rhymes: -ɒlkə, -əʊkə

polka (plural polkas)

1. A lively dance originating in Bohemia.
2. The music for this dance.
3. A polka jacket.

polka (third-person singular simple present polkas, present participle polkaing, simple past and past participle polkaed)

1. (intransitive) To dance the polka.

• Palko, lo pak, pakol, pokal

Variant of půlka (“half”) as in "half-step"; see půl (“half”).

• IPA^(key): [ˈpolka]

polka f

1. polka

• “polka”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “polka”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “polka”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

From Czech polka.

3=erne

polka c (singular definite polkaen, plural indefinite polkaer)

1. polka

• “polka” in Den Danske Ordbog

From Czech polka.

• IPA^(key): /pɔl.ka/

polka f (plural polkas)

1. polka (dance and music)

• polkiste

• → Ottoman Turkish: پولقه (polka)
  • Turkish: polka

• “polka”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

From French and Czech polka.

polka f (plural polkas)

1. (Jersey) polka (dance, music)

Via German Polka or French polka from Czech polka and půlka

polka m (definite singular polkaen, indefinite plural polkaer, definite plural polkaene)

1. polka (dance and music)

• “polka” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “polka” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Via German Polka or French polka from Czech polka and půlka

polka m (definite singular polkaen, indefinite plural polkaer or polkaar, definite plural polkaene or polkaane)

1. polka (dance and music)

• “polka” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

From French polka.

polka f (plural polkas)

1. polka (dance)

Borrowed from Czech polka. Doublet of półka.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɔl.ka/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔlka
• Syllabification: pol‧ka
• Homophone: Polka

polka f (diminutive poleczka)

1. polka (dance)
2. polka (music for this dance)

• polka in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• polka in Polish dictionaries at PWN

See polca.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpolka/ [ˈpol.ka]
• Rhymes: -olka
• Syllabification: pol‧ka

polka f (plural polkas)

1. polka

• “polka”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

From a shortening of Dutch polkahaar (“bob haircut”), ultimately from Czech polka, a variant of půlka (“a half”).

polka (Sundanese script ᮕᮧᮜ᮪ᮊ)

1. short-cropped hair (at the back)

• Coolsma, S (1913), Soendaneesch-Hollandsch Woordenboek (in Dutch), Leiden: A.W. Sijthoff's Uitgeversmaatschappij
• "polka" in Maman Sumantri; Atjep Djamaludin; Achmad Patoni; R.H. Moch. Koerdie; M.O. Koesman; Epa Sjafei Adisastra. (1985), Kamus Sunda-Indonesia [Sundanese-Indonesian Dictionary] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Department of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia

Borrowed from German Polka. First attested in 1844.

polka c

1. polka (dance)

   att dansa polka

   to polka ["to dance type of dance" is idiomatic in Swedish]

2. polka (music for dancing the polka)

• gammeldans
• polska

• polka in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• polka in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• polka in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Borrowed from Polish polka.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpoɫ.ka/
• Hyphenation: pol‧ka

polka (definite accusative polkayı, plural polkalar)

1. polka

• “polka”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Ayverdi, İlhan (2010), “polka”, in Misalli Büyük Türkçe Sözlük, a reviewed and expanded single-volume edition, Istanbul: Kubbealtı Neşriyatı