Home › Words › P › punkahwallahpunkahwallah/ˈpʌŋkəˌwɒlə/punkahwallah means A servant who operates a punkah (type of fan).punkahwallah is pronounced /ˈpʌŋkəˌwɒlə/.EtymologyBorrowed from Hindi पंखावाला (paṅkhāvālā); also analyzable within English as punkah + wallah.nounA servant who operates a punkah (type of fan).Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).Words closest in meaningBy meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.punkah 75% match — A fan, particularly a large fan made of leaf or cloth and hung from the ceiling, (historical) formerly often operated by a servant. vs punkahwallah →boxwallah 56% match — An Indian pedlar who sold goods from a box or trunk. vs punkahwallah →powwower 51% match — One who powwows. vs punkahwallah →dudhwallah 51% match — A milkman or milkwoman. vs punkahwallah →autowallah 51% match — driver, chauffeur (especially of an autorickshaw) vs punkahwallah →tentwallah 50% match — A person who sells or hires out tents, mostly for weddings and parties. vs punkahwallah →chaiwallah 50% match — A tea vendor in South Asia. vs punkahwallah →fanmaker 49% match — A manufacturer of fans. vs punkahwallah →