gunny

Where does the word "gunny" come from? It comes from Sanskrit goni, passing through Hindi before entering English (1711).

Gunny’s story begins in Sanskrit: goni meant “a sack.” Named a sack, likely itself borrowed from a Dravidian word. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Hindi as goni. Remained the everyday word for a coarse sack. It reached English by 1711 as gunny. Anglo-Indian traders adopted the word for coarse jute sacking. Today, gunny means a coarse, heavy fabric, usually made of jute, used to make sacks.

1. Stage 1 · Sanskrit · ancient goni "a sack", named a sack, likely itself borrowed from a Dravidian word.
2. Stage 2 · Hindi · medieval goni "coarse sack or sacking cloth", remained the everyday word for a coarse sack.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1711 gunny "coarse sacking made of jute or hemp", Anglo-Indian traders adopted the word for coarse jute sacking.