1
Stage 1 of 4
kuli
Tamil · medieval
"wages, hire"
meant 'wages' or 'hire' among South Indian laborers
2
Stage 2 of 4
coolie
Portuguese · 16th c.
"a hired laborer"
Portuguese traders in South India applied the word to hired laborers
3
Stage 3 of 4
quli
Hindi · medieval
"a hired laborer or porter"
merged with an unrelated Gujarati tribal name and spread across India
4
Stage 4 of 4
coolie
English · 17th c.
"an unskilled laborer (now dated and offensive)"
entered English through colonial trade and labor systems
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