𑀧𑀼𑀁𑀙𑀇

• (Maharashtri) 𑀧𑀼𑀲𑀇 (pusaï)
• 𑀧𑀼𑀘𑁆𑀙𑀇 (pucchaï), 𑀧𑀼𑀲𑀇 (pusaï), 𑀨𑀼𑀁𑀲𑀇 (phuṃsaï)

Cognate with Pali पुञ्छति (puñchati), पुञ्जति (puñjati). On account of the variation in forms, Turner suggests Dravidian origin. Compare Tamil பூசு (pūcu, “to smear, rub, wash”), Kannada ಪೂಸು (pūsu, “to smear”), Telugu పూయు (pūyu, “to apply, annoint”). Later Sanskrit प्रोञ्छति (proñchati) is likely borrowed from this Middle Indo-Aryan class of words.

𑀧𑀼𑀁𑀙𑀇 (puṃchaï) (Devanagari पुंछइ)

1. to wipe

• Central:
  • Old Awadhi: पौंछइ (pauṃchaï), पोंछब (poṃchaba)
  • Hindustani: põchnā, pochnā
    • Hindi: पोंछना, पोछना
    • Urdu: پون٘چھنا, پوچھنا
• Eastern:
  • Bengali: পোঁছা (pō̃cha), পুঁচা (pũca), পুঁছা (pũcha)
  • Bihari:
    • Maithili: पोछब (pōchab)
  • Odia: ପୋଛିବା (pochibā)
• Northern:
  • Kumaoni: पोँछ्णो (põchṇo)
  • Nepali: पुछ्नु (puchnu)
• Northwestern:
  • Punjabi: pū̃jhṇā

    Gurmukhi script: ਪੂੰਝਣਾ

    Shahmukhi script: پوجھنا

• Southern:
  • Sinhalese: පිහිනවා (pihinawā)

• Sheth, Hargovind Das T[rikamcand] (1923–1928), “पुंछइ”, in पाइअ-सद्द-महण्णवो [pāia-sadda-mahaṇṇavo, Ocean of Prakrit words] (in Hindi), Calcutta: [Published by the Author].
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), “puṃchaï”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press