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Tonga

2 stages from Hindi to English.

Today it means A light, two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage traditionally used for transport in South Asia.

Where does the word "tonga" come from? It comes from Hindi tanga, adopted directly into English (1870s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
tanga
Hindi · medieval
"a light, two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage"
named a light two-wheeled horse cart
2
Stage 2 of 2
tonga
English · 1870s
"a small, light, two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage"
British colonials adopted the word for the common South Asian carriage
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