See Podunk on Wiktionary
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"etymology_text": "From an Eastern Algonquian, likely Loup A, word or words. Similar names were applied to various small and generally unknown places. By the late 19th century the word came to mean an obscure small town, a use possibly popularized by Mark Twain (see quotation). Carlton and Reed survey similar place names and note a transformation from Potaecke to Potunke to Podunk. Carlton suggests a derivation from the adjective petukque (\"round\"). Tooker compares Ojibwe petobeg (“bog”) (as Chippewa) and Abenaki poteba (“to sink in the mire”) and divides the word into pot- (\"to sink\") and -unk (locative). Algonquian expert Ives Goddard says \"We have no idea what the word means. You'll be able to find guesses in the sources if you look around. Don't believe any of it.\"",
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"ref": "1869, Mark Twain, Mr. Beecher and the Clergy:",
"text": "They even know it in Podunk, wherever that may be.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "[1877, John Russell Bartlett, Dictionary of Americanisms, 4th edition, page 791:",
"text": "Podunk. A term applied to an imaginary place in burlesque writing or speaking.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1933 February 2, F. W. Buxton, Boston Herald:",
"text": "Podunk, like Atlantis, has no locus. Sought often, it is unfound and apparently unfindable.",
"type": "quote"
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{
"ref": "2007 November 15, Scott Miller, “This verdict's already in: Bonds won't hit No. 763”, in CBS Sports:",
"text": "This isn't some Podunk charge in some Podunk court. Charged with four counts of perjury and one of obstruction of justice, Bonds, if convicted, could be sentenced to a maximum of 30 years in prison.",
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],
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"Mythical small town of no importance."
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"id": "en-Podunk-en-name-Kp~Tjvhh",
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"(US) Mythical small town of no importance. [from 19th c.]"
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"word": "Placeholder name § Geographical locations"
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{
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "backwater"
},
{
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "hog waller"
},
{
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "hog island"
},
{
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "hog town"
},
{
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "jerkwater town"
},
{
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "one-horse town"
},
{
"word": "podunk"
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{
"code": "bew",
"lang": "Betawi",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "tempat jin buang anak"
},
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "Østre Bøvelse"
},
{
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"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"tags": [
"Netherlands",
"neuter"
],
"word": "Schubbekutteveen"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"tags": [
"neuter"
],
"word": "Nergenshuizen"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "Trifouillis-les-Oies"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "Hintertupfingen"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "Vattelapesca"
},
{
"code": "ms",
"lang": "Malay",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"tags": [
"Classical"
],
"word": "negeri antah-berantah"
},
{
"code": "zmi",
"lang": "Negeri Sembilan Malay",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "ontahmano"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"note": "also an actual location",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "Pcim Dolny"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "Pipidówka"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "Cuca Măcăii"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "Cucuieții din Deal"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "tʹmutarakánʹ",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "тьмутарака́нь"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"note": "obscene, \"Midgeshatville\"",
"roman": "Muxosránsk",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "Мухосра́нск"
},
{
"code": "poz-sml",
"lang": "Sarawak Malay",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "tempat jin bertendang"
},
{
"code": "gd",
"lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "Lùb a' Gheòidh"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"note": "from somewhere",
"roman": "zvidkiljasʹ",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "звідкілясь"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"english": "who knows where",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "xtozna-zvidky",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "хтозна-звідки"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"english": "devil knows where",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "čortzna-de",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "чортзна-де"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Ives Goddard"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈpoʊdʌŋk/"
}
],
"word": "Podunk"
}
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"etymology_text": "From an Eastern Algonquian, likely Loup A, word or words. Similar names were applied to various small and generally unknown places. By the late 19th century the word came to mean an obscure small town, a use possibly popularized by Mark Twain (see quotation). Carlton and Reed survey similar place names and note a transformation from Potaecke to Potunke to Podunk. Carlton suggests a derivation from the adjective petukque (\"round\"). Tooker compares Ojibwe petobeg (“bog”) (as Chippewa) and Abenaki poteba (“to sink in the mire”) and divides the word into pot- (\"to sink\") and -unk (locative). Algonquian expert Ives Goddard says \"We have no idea what the word means. You'll be able to find guesses in the sources if you look around. Don't believe any of it.\"",
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"ref": "1869, Mark Twain, Mr. Beecher and the Clergy:",
"text": "They even know it in Podunk, wherever that may be.",
"type": "quote"
},
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"ref": "[1877, John Russell Bartlett, Dictionary of Americanisms, 4th edition, page 791:",
"text": "Podunk. A term applied to an imaginary place in burlesque writing or speaking.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1933 February 2, F. W. Buxton, Boston Herald:",
"text": "Podunk, like Atlantis, has no locus. Sought often, it is unfound and apparently unfindable.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2007 November 15, Scott Miller, “This verdict's already in: Bonds won't hit No. 763”, in CBS Sports:",
"text": "This isn't some Podunk charge in some Podunk court. Charged with four counts of perjury and one of obstruction of justice, Bonds, if convicted, could be sentenced to a maximum of 30 years in prison.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
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"Mythical small town of no importance."
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"(US) Mythical small town of no importance. [from 19th c.]"
],
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],
"wikipedia": [
"Ives Goddard"
]
}
],
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{
"ipa": "/ˈpoʊdʌŋk/"
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],
"synonyms": [
{
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "backwater"
},
{
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "hog waller"
},
{
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "hog island"
},
{
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "hog town"
},
{
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "jerkwater town"
},
{
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "one-horse town"
},
{
"word": "podunk"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "bew",
"lang": "Betawi",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "tempat jin buang anak"
},
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "Østre Bøvelse"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"tags": [
"Netherlands",
"neuter"
],
"word": "Schubbekutteveen"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"tags": [
"neuter"
],
"word": "Nergenshuizen"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "Trifouillis-les-Oies"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "Hintertupfingen"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "Vattelapesca"
},
{
"code": "ms",
"lang": "Malay",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"tags": [
"Classical"
],
"word": "negeri antah-berantah"
},
{
"code": "zmi",
"lang": "Negeri Sembilan Malay",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "ontahmano"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"note": "also an actual location",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "Pcim Dolny"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "Pipidówka"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "Cuca Măcăii"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "Cucuieții din Deal"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "tʹmutarakánʹ",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "тьмутарака́нь"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"note": "obscene, \"Midgeshatville\"",
"roman": "Muxosránsk",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "Мухосра́нск"
},
{
"code": "poz-sml",
"lang": "Sarawak Malay",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "tempat jin bertendang"
},
{
"code": "gd",
"lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "Lùb a' Gheòidh"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"note": "from somewhere",
"roman": "zvidkiljasʹ",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "звідкілясь"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"english": "who knows where",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "xtozna-zvidky",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "хтозна-звідки"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"english": "devil knows where",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "čortzna-de",
"sense": "mythical small town of no importance",
"word": "чортзна-де"
}
],
"word": "Podunk"
}
Download raw JSONL data for Podunk meaning in All languages combined (6.7kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.