Punjab

[puhn-jahb, puhn-jahb]

noun

1. a former province in NW British India: now divided between India and Pakistan.

2. a state in NW India. 47,456 sq. mi. (122,911 sq. km). Chandigarh.

3. a province in NE Pakistan. 19,445 sq. mi. (50,362 sq. km). Lahore.

Punjab

/ pʌnˈdʒɑːb, ˈpʌndʒɑːb /

noun

1. (formerly) a province in NW British India: divided between India and Pakistan in 1947

2. a state of NW India: reorganized in 1966 as a Punjabi-speaking state, a large part forming the new state of Haryana; mainly agricultural. Capital: Chandigarh. Pop: 24 289 296 (2001). Area: 50 255 sq km (19 403 sq miles)

3. a province of W Pakistan: created in 1947. Capital: Lahore. Pop: 82 710 000 (2003 est). Area: 205 344 sq km (127 595 sq miles)

Word History and Origins

Origin of Punjab¹

First recorded in 1830–35; from Hindi, Urdu Panjāb, from Persian panj âb, literally “(land of) five waters, five rivers” (the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas, tributaries of the Indus)

Example Sentences

Most Sikhs are from the northern state of Punjab in India.

From Los Angeles Times

More than two million people have been evacuated in Pakistan's Punjab province as floods sweep the country's eastern region, authorities said.

From BBC

"Most come from poorer backgrounds, working in construction and religious sites in Uttarakhand, on farms in Punjab, in factories in Gujarat, and in hotels across Delhi and beyond," Dr Bashyal told me.

From BBC

Half of the country is reeling under floods after extraordinary downpours, with Punjab facing its worst deluge since 1988.

From BBC

Appealing to the country to "stand by the state", Punjab's Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said these were the worst floods the state had seen since 1988.

From BBC