Where does “cu li” come from?
cu li (Vietnamese) comes from French coolie, from English coolie, from Hindi क़ुली, from Turkish köle, from Ottoman Turkish كوله, from Proto-Turkic kȫle — slave, servant.
cu li (Vietnamese): coolie; loris
Ancestry of “cu li”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | coolie | — |
| 2 | English | coolie | An unskilled Asian worker, usually of Chinese or... |
| 3 | Hindi | क़ुली | porter; coolie; migrant labourer; slave; servant |
| 4 | Turkish | köle | slave |
| 5 | Ottoman Turkish | كوله | — |
| 6 | Proto-Turkic | kȫle | slave, servant |