Dooli

/ˈduːli/ noun

Definition

A lightweight stretcher or covered platform used in India and South Asia to carry people or goods, also spelled doolie or dooley.

Etymology

From Hindi 'ḍholī,' a traditional Indian transport device, borrowed into English during colonial times in India when British officers and soldiers adopted the local terminology.

Kelly Says

The British Empire was a linguistic vacuum cleaner—it sucked words from everywhere it went, which is why English has 'dooli' (India), 'trek' (South Africa), and hundreds of others, making our language a map of British imperial routes.

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