Czech, from Polka Polish woman, feminine of Polák Pole
First Known Use: 1843
Lively couple dance of Bohemian folk origin. The polka (Czech for Polish woman) is characterized by three quick steps and a hop and is danced to music in , or duple, time. It originated in the early 19th century and became popular in ballrooms across Europe and in North and South America. It has remained popular into the 21st century as both a folk dance and a ballroom dance.