Where does “苦力” come from?

苦力 (Chinese) comes from Hindi क़ुली, from Turkish köle, from Ottoman Turkish كوله, from Proto-Turkic kȫle — slave, servant.

苦力 (Chinese): labor; hard work; coolie; laborer

Definitions

  1. labor; hard work; coolie; laborer

Ancestry of “苦力”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hindiक़ुलीporter; coolie; migrant labourer; slave; servant
2Turkishköleslave
3Ottoman Turkishكولهmale slave
4Proto-Turkickȫleslave, servant
Every word from Proto-Turkic kȫle →Every word from Ottoman Turkish كوله →Every word from Turkish köle →
苦力 — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer