Polka (etymology)

[Steve K.]

On Wed, 30 May 2001, Douglas G. Wilson wrote:

> The Czech "pulka" = "half" is mentioned here as one of the etymology stories.

FYI, the Czech word for half is pul (with a krouzek over the u) -- the
diminutive -ek (or -ka in the feminine) is an *extremely* productive
suffix. Further, in adding that suffix to a word with a long u, the u
would become an o, compare sul (salt)/ soliteny (salty).

(Long u's in Czech are marked with a little hollow circle - a krouzek
[itself a diminutive as circle=kruh] at the beginning and middle of words
instead of an acute accent, except for Capital U, which also gets the
acute accent.)

I'm not saying this is necessarily the etymology of polka, merely that
it's feasible.

--- Steve K.