Punjabi yana nufin ƙabila da harshe na yankin Punjab na Indiya da Pakistan. Ana iya amfani da kalmar "Punjabi" a matsayin suna don komawa ga mutumin Punjab ko kuma a matsayin sifa don kwatanta wani abu da ya shafi yankin Punjab ko al'adunsa. An samo kalmar daga kalmar Farisa "panj" wanda ke nufin "biyar," da "ab" wanda ke nufin "ruwa." An yi imani da kalmar tana nufin koguna biyar da ke gudana a cikin yankin: Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab, da Jhelum.