Khurpa

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A traditional farming tool used for digging and loosening soil, often resembling a large hoe or spade; utilized in agricultural practices to cultivate land and prepare for planting; an instrument vital for tilling earth in various regions, especially in South Asia
2. A versatile implements for soil cultivation, typically with a sharp, broad blade and a long handle; commonly used by farmers for preparing garden beds and breaking up compacted ground; essential for promoting soil aeration and enhancing productivity in farming
3. A hand-held agricultural tool designed for tilling and turning soil in gardens and fields; it is important for land preparation and is often made of sturdy materials to withstand tough soil conditions; a key asset in traditional agrarian methods

Etymology: Its ancestor was a Sanskrit word for a blade. "Kṣurapra" referred to a razor-edged arrowhead, built from "kṣura," meaning razor. Over the centuries the word passed into the Prakrit and modern Indo-Aryan languages, where it became "khurpā" in Hindi and Urdu and "khurpa" in Punjabi, and it came to name a small, flat-bladed hand hoe. The tool's shape explains the shift. A narrow, sharp iron blade mounted on a short wooden handle lets a farmer slice out weeds at the root while crouching over a field. The blade kept the cutting edge that the old word named, though the tool now works soil rather than cutting enemies or game.

Synonyms: hoe, hand hoe, garden hoe, cultivator, trowel