Past tense of coffle; chained or linked together in a line, especially referring to enslaved people forced to walk together.
From coffle (noun), derived from Arabic 'qāfilah' meaning caravan or group. The word entered English through slave trade terminology in the 18th century, describing the brutal practice of chaining captives together.
This word emerged directly from the language of the transatlantic slave trade, becoming a haunting linguistic record of one of history's darkest practices. Understanding historical vocabulary like this helps us confront uncomfortable truths that shaped modern society.
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