adjective noun

I. (adj.)

1. crooked, bent, curved MN.i.31 (+ jimha); SN.iv.118 (read v-daṇḍā); Vin.ii.116 (suttā vankā honti); Ja.i.9 (of kāja); Ja.iv.362 (˚daṇḍa), Pv-a.51 With ref. to a kind of vīṇā at Vv-a.281.
2. (fig.) crooked, deceitful, dishonest Ja.iii.313 (of crows: kākānaṃ nāmaṃ C.); Ja.vi.524; Pv.iv.1#34 (a˚); Snp.270 (probably to be read dhaṅka as Snp-a.303, = kāka).
3. doubtful deceitful, deceptive, i.e. haunted Vv.84#3, cp. Vv-a.334

II. (m.)

1. a bend, nook, curve (of ponds) Ja.ii.189 Ja.vi.333 (sahassa˚).
2. a hook Ja.v.269.
3. a fishhook DN.ii.266; Thag.749; Ja.vi.437

■ On vaṅka in similes see J.P.T.S. 1907, 131.

• -aṅgula a crooked finger AN.iii.6.
• -ātivaṅkin having curves upon curves (in its horns), with very crooked antlers Ja.i.160 (said of a deer).
• -gata running in bends or crooked (of a river) Ja.i.289.
• -ghasta (a fish) having swallowed the hook DN.ii.266; Ja.vi.113.
• -chidda a crooked hole DN-a.i.112.
• -dāṭha having a bent fang (of a boar) Ja.ii.405.

cp. Vedic vanka & vakra bending; also Ved. vanku moving, fluttering, walking slant; vañcati to waver, walk crooked. Cp. Lat. con-vexus “convex, Ags. wōh “wrong,” Goth. wāhs; Ohg. wanga cheek and others
■ The Dhtp.5 gives “koṭilya” as meaning of vaṅk. Another Pāli form is vakka (q.v.). The Prk. forms are both vakka & vanka: Pischel, Prk. Gr. § 74