Gurkha

• Gorkha, Ghurkha, Ghoorka, Goorka, Goorkha (some forms are archaic)

From Nepali गोर्खा (gorkhā, “inhabitant of Gorkha”), from गोरखा (gorakhā)/गोर्खा (gorkhā, “Gorkha District”), from Sanskrit गोरक्ष (gorakṣa, “cowherd”) an epithet of the patron deity Gorakhnath, from गो (go, “cow”) +‎ रक्ष् (rakṣ, “protect”).

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)kə

Gurkha (plural Gurkhas or Gurkha)

1. A member of the dominant ethnic group in Nepal, with a Himalayan diaspora.
2. A member of this people recruited to serve in their own elite units in the British and Indian armies.

• While Gurkha has been the popular spelling worldwide, inside Nepal, the correct spelling is considered to be Gorkha.

Gurkha (comparative more Gurkha, superlative most Gurkha)

1. Referring or belonging to the Gurkha people.

   The Gurkha royal house of Shah united all Nepal under its rule

2. Referring or belonging to Gurkha soldiers.

   In 2009, Gurkha veterans were awarded better terms in the UK

• Gurkha on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• “Gurkha”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “Gurkha”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “Gurkha” in TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2024.