Where does “kuli” come from?

kuli (Swahili) comes from English coolie, from Hindi क़ुली, from Turkish köle, from Ottoman Turkish كوله, from Proto-Turkic kȫle — slave, servant.

kuli (Swahili): coolie, dockworker

Definitions

  1. coolie, dockworker

Ancestry of “kuli”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcoolieAn unskilled Asian worker, usually of Chinese or...
2Hindiक़ुलीporter; coolie; migrant labourer; slave; servant
3Turkishköleslave
4Ottoman Turkishكولهmale slave
5Proto-Turkickȫleslave, servant
Every word from Proto-Turkic kȫle →