tanka
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tanka¹
Where it comes from
From Japanese 短歌 (tanka, “short song”), from Middle Chinese 短 (MC twanX) 歌 (MC ka) (compare Mandarin 短歌 (duǎngē) duǎngē).
noun tankas · tanka
- A form of Japanese verse in five lines of 5, 7, 5, 7, and 7 morae. Like haiku, tanka is a short, classical verse form that has attracted considerable attention in this century.
tanka²
Where it comes from
See thangka.
noun tankas
- Alternative form of thangka (“Tibetan religious artwork”). In the practice of yoga certain functions which were previously subconscious become open to consciousness; this opening of the subconscious is well pictured in certain Tibetan tankas, or in Western art, in the Temptation of St. Anthony paintings by Bosch and Grünewald.
tanka³
Where it comes from
See Tanka.
noun tankas · tanka
- Alternative form of Tanka (“an ethnic group of boat people living in China”). And when foreigners go and come from Whampoa to Canton, tanka-boats and boats with families must not be employed.
- A kind of boat used in Guangdong, about 25 feet long and often rowed by Tanka women; junk. Immediately on our nearing the harbour, a race took place among the amphibious damsels that inhabit the numerous sampans, tanka or egg-boats, which always lie within a short distance of the shore.
tanka⁴
Where it comes from
Ultimately from Sanskrit टङ्क (ṭaṅka, “chisel; tanka”).
noun tankas · taka · tucka
- A coin and unit of currency of varying value, formerly used in parts of India and Central Asia. In Uzbek Turan Shah Rukh's tanka remained the standard silver coin and weighed an average of slightly more than 5 g throughout the sixteenth century.
Tanka⁵
Where it comes from
Likely from Cantonese 蜑家 (daan6 gaa1).
noun Tankas · Tanka · tanka · danjia · Tan-kea · tankia
- A member of a group of people in southern China who traditionally live on junks.
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Talk about this word "tanka." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tanka. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tanka. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tanka "tanka." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tanka.Cite this
@misc{tanka_2026,
title = {tanka},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tanka},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
