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Where does the word "tonga" come from? It comes from Hindi tanga, and was adopted directly into English (1870s).
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Where does the word "tonga" come from? It comes from Hindi tanga, and was adopted directly into English (1870s).
Tonga’s story begins in Hindi: tanga meant “a light, two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage.” Named a light two-wheeled horse cart. It reached English by 1870s as tonga. British colonials adopted the word for the common South Asian carriage. Today, tonga means a light, two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage traditionally used for transport in South Asia.
- Stage 1 · Hindi · medieval tanga "a light, two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage", named a light two-wheeled horse cart.
- Stage 2 · English · 1870s tonga "a small, light, two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage", British colonials adopted the word for the common South Asian carriage.