Glossary - Commonly used Punjabi Words

SOME PUNJABI WORDS SHOWN IN ENGLISH ON THE LEFT
AND THEIR MEANING IN THE RIGHT COLUMN
 

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Adi	First, original.
Akal	Eternal and immortal. A term used to describe God.
Akali	Literally, a worshipper of the Eternal God. Presently the term denotes a member of the Shiromani Akali Dal, the major Sikh political party whose headquarters are in Amritsar.
Akhand Path	A continuous recitation that takes 48 hours of the entire Guru Granth Sahib.
Amrit	Literally, the elixir of life. That which bestows immortality; water sanctified by the touch of the sacred. Nectar made from patasas (prepared from ground sugar and water).
Amrit Sarowar	The reservoir around the Harmandir Sahib.
Ardas	An important Sikh prayer recited at the conclusion of a service. The word itself means supplication.
Arti	Worship using oil lamps.
Asa di War	A section of the Adi Granth.
B
Baba	A term of respect for a father or a holy man.
Baisakhi	The harvest season, observed on April 13 each year. It is also the day on which Guru Gobind Singh baptized the Sikhs as the Khalsa.
Bani	Verses included in Guru Granth Sahib.
Bedi	The clan to which Guru Nanak belonged.
Ber	Fruit of the Jujube tree.
Bhai	Brother; in popular usage it also applies to those who perform religious services.
Bhagat	A Devotee of God.
Brahmgiani	God – illuminated Soul, a man who has realized God.
Brahmin	The first caste of Hindu society.
Buddhi	Intelligence, wisdom of the mind.
Bunga	Rest house, a place of dwelling.
C
Chakra	A circular steel weapon; one of the symbols of Sikhism; depicted on the Nishan Sahib.
Chardi Kalan	Charhdi Kala signifies in the Sikh tradition a perennially blossoming, unwilting spirit, a perpetual state of certitude resting on the unwavering belief in Divine justice.
Chattri	Umbrella, canopy
Chaur	Yak hair whisk or peacock feather fan waved as a symbol of respect for the scriptures.
Chief Khalsa Diwan	A Sikh organization founded in 1901 in Amritsar.
D
Dal Khalsa	Army of the Sikhs.
Darbar Sahib	Used as a synonym for the Golden Temple.
Darshan	Vision of Divine Light, a system of philosophy
Daswandh	Voluntary donation of one-tenth of One’s income.
Dehin	A form of fresco painting.
Deorhi	An entrance gate.
Diwali	A major Hindu festival of lights during the darkest phase of the moon in the month of October or November.
Diwan	Sikh religious assembly.
E
F
Five K’s	See Panj Kakke.
G
Gach	plaster of various mixes.
Ghalughara	Holocaust (Great Holocaust); refers to incidents that led to the destruction and loss of Sikh lives at different periods of Sikh history.
Gadi / Gaddi	Throne or seat of the Gurus.
Gian	Wisdom, knowledge.
Giani	A person possessing wisdom or knowledge.
Granth	A compilation of the sacred scriptures.
Granthi	A custodian of the Guru Granth Sahib.
Gurbani	The scriptures compiled by the Gurus.
Gurdwara	Literally, "the door of the Guru"; a building that houses the Sikh sacred scriptures; a Sikh temple.
Gurmata	The intention, resolution or will of the Guru expressed in a formal decision made by a representative assembly of Sikhs; a resolution of the Sarbat Khalsa.
Guru Ke Mahal	A place of residence of Sikh Guru and / or his Wife / Wives..
Gurmukh	One who follows the Guru’s Teachings.
Gurmukhi	The script in which the Guru Granth Sahib is written, and which is the script used for writing Punjabi.
Gurpurb	A Sikh festival connected with any one of the ten Gurus.
Guru	GU means Darkness and RU means divine light (JOT)
Guru Granth	The sacred scriptures of the Sikhs, originally compiled and edited by Guru Arjan Dev in 1604 AD.
H
Harmandir	Literally, "the house of God"; the central Sikh shrine in Amritsar.
Hukam	Order, command.
Hukamnama	An edict of the Guru, random reading from the Guru Granth Sahib.
I
J
Jaikara	The sikh cry – "Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal".
Janamsakhi	A traditional biography, especially of Guru Nanak; "birth and life evidence.
Jaratkari	The technique of inlaying colored stones in marble.
Jathedar	Leader of a jatha (group).
K
Kacch	Short breeches; one of the Five K's.
Kafila	Caravan.
Kanga	Comb; one of the Five K's.
Kara	A loose steel wristband; one of the Five K's.
Karah Parsad	A sacramental food offered to God, then distributed to all present at Sikh religious gatherings. It is made of flour, sugar and ghee (clarified butter).
Kar-Sewa	The voluntary operation of cleansing and desilting the holy pool (Amrit Sarowar) at the Golden Temple. (Also spelled "kar-seva".).
Katra	Neighborhood.
Kesh	Unshorn hair; one of the Five K'.
Khalsa	The pure ones; the brotherhood of initiated Sikhs; also used as a collective description of the Sikh community. (See also Chief Khalsa Diwan.).
Khalsa Panth	The Sikh community, the organization founded by Guru Gobind Singh.
Khanda	A double-edged straight sword; one of the symbols of Sikhism.
Kirpan	Short sword; one of the Five K's.
Kirtan	Singing of devotional songs in praise of God, sung in the classical mode.
Kotha Sahib	A room in the Akal Takht where the Guru Granth Sahib is kept each night.
Krodh	Anger.
Kshatriya	The second caste of Hindu society.
L
Langar	Community or free kitchen attached to every Gurdwara.
Lobh	Greed, avarice.
Lavan	Marriage hymns.
M
Mahal	Palace.
Maharaja	Literally, "the great king" or "supreme sovereign".
Manji Sahib	The low seat, somewhat similar to a cot, on which the Guru Granth Sahib is placed in a Gurdwara.
Manji	Ecclesiastical district; 22 manjis were established by Guru Amar Das.
Mata	A prefix showing respect for elderly woman.
Meeri	Temporal authority in the Sikh religion.
Mela	A fair or festival.
MisI	A Sikh confederacy in the eighteenth century.
N
Nam	Divine Name, the holy spirit, the spirit of God.
Naqqash	Dehin fresco artist.
Nautch-Girls	Dancing girls.
Nigara	A large drum.
Nihang	Historically, a soldier-devotee and protector of the Gurdwara
Nirgun	Formless; a description of God.
Nishan Sahib	A saffron or blue flag with the Sikh symbols of the chakra and two khandas.
O
P
Palki	A palanquin.
Panj Kakke	The Five K's; the five external symbols worn by all members of the Khalsa, both male and female. The name of each symbol starts with the letter k (kakka) viz. kesh, kanga, kirpan, kara and kacch.
Panth	Literally, "path"; today widely used to describe the Sikh community, but derived from the "path" taken by the followers of the faith.
Parchar	Missionary work.
Parkarma	A clockwise ,circumambulatory, walkway around a holy shrine.
Peeri	Spiritual authority in the Sikh religion.
Pietra Dura	Inlay of colored stones in marble.
Puja	Worship.
Q
Raga	The classical system of Indian music.
R
Raga	The classical system of Indian music.
Ragi	A musician who sings the ragas.
Rahras	The evening prayer of the Sikhs (from the Adi Granth).
Rakhi	To safeguard.
Ram Rauni	Originally a mud fortress near Amritsar, later strengthened and renamed Ramgarh after the fourth guru, Ram Das.
S
Sahib	A suffix showing reverence for person, place or object.
Sahibzada	Son of the Sikh Guru.
Sangat	Congregation.
Sarbat Khalsa	Widely attended gatherings of the Sikhs, which accord collective sanction to all major initiatives.
Sardar	A chieftain or headman, presently used as a title for all Sikh men.
Sargun	The temporal realm of human existence.
Sarowar	A pool or lake.
Sat Guru	God.
Sati	Self-immolation of Hindu widows on their husbands' funeral pyres.
Satsang	Holy Company, prayer meeting, a devotional group .
Sewa	Service (also spelled "seva").
Shabad	A hymn of Praise to God.
Shabad Kirtan	The vocal and musical renditions from the sacred verses of the Adi Granth.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee	The supreme committee for the administration of the Gurdwaras in Punjab; also referred to as the SGPC.
Shish	Glass or mirror.
Shish Mahal	A palace or building studded with mirrors or glass-work; sometimes spelled "Sheesh Mahal".
Shishya	A disciple or devoted follower.
Sidhis	Occult powers.
Sikh	The name given to a follower of Guru Nanak.
Sikhya	The vernacular form of "Shishya".
Simran	Meditation, Constant remembrance of God – Practicing the presence of God.
Singh	Lion. At first, all male members of the Sikh community added "Singh" to their names, but now many Sikh women append it to their names as well.
Singh Sabha	A movement comprising several Sikh societies dedicated to religious, social and educational reforms within the Sikh community. The first Singh Sabha was founded at Amritsar in 1873.
Sodhi	A subcaste of the Kshatriyas. Seven Sikh gurus (from Guru Ram Das to Guru Gobind Singh) were of this caste
Sri Sahab	Sword.
Sudra	The fourth caste of Hindu society.
Sukhmani	A poetical composition.
Swaraj	Self-rule, independence.
T
Takht	Throne, seat of royal, temporal or spiritual authority.
Tukri	The process in which pieces of colored and mirrored glass are cut and inlaid into gach.
U
Udasia	Travels or pilgrimages of Guru Nanak.
V
Vaisya	The third caste of Hindu society.
Vaaq	The Lord's message. Also Hukamnama
W
Waheguru	"Wonderful is the Lord"
X
Y
Z

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