Where does “kuli” come from?

kuli (Hawaiian) comes from Proto-Polynesian tuli, from Proto-Oceanic tuli, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian tuli, from Proto-Austronesian Culi, from English coolie, from Hindi क़ुली, from Turkish köle, from Ottoman Turkish كوله — slave, servant.

kuli (Hawaiian): to be deaf; knee

Definitions

  1. to be deaf; knee

Ancestry of “kuli”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Polynesiantulideaf
2Proto-Oceanictulideaf
3Proto-Malayo-Polynesiantulideaf
4Proto-AustronesianCulideaf
5EnglishcoolieAn unskilled Asian worker, usually of Chinese or...
6Hindiक़ुलीporter; coolie; migrant labourer; slave; servant
7Turkishköleslave
8Ottoman Turkishكولهmale slave
9Proto-Turkickȫleslave, servant
Every word from Proto-Turkic kȫle →Every word from Ottoman Turkish كوله →Every word from Turkish köle →