Where does “koelie” come from?

koelie (Dutch) comes from Malay kuli, from Hindi क़ुली, from Turkish köle, from Ottoman Turkish كوله, from Proto-Turkic kȫle — slave, servant.

koelie (Dutch): coolie Asian manual worker

Definitions

  1. coolie Asian manual worker

Ancestry of “koelie”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Malaykuli—
2Hindiक़ुलीporter; coolie; migrant labourer; slave; servant
3Turkishköleslave
4Ottoman Turkishكولهmale slave
5Proto-Turkickȫleslave, servant

Words derived from “koelie”

Every word from Proto-Turkic kȫle →