Wiktionary

palanquin

See also: palanquín

English

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WOTD – 27 March 2006
 
A palanquin
 
Palanquin in Bombay (Mumbai) in the 1850s
 
An open Congolese sedan chair labelled as a palanquin

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Portuguese palanquim (“Asian litter, litter-bearer”), from Odia ପାଲଙ୍କି (pālaṅki, “litter”), ultimately from Sanskrit पल्यङ्क (palyaṅka), variant of पर्यङ्क (paryaṅka, “bed, couch, litter”). Doublet of palki.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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palanquin (plural palanquins)

  1. (India, chiefly historical) An enclosed human-borne litter or sedan chair, a large box with a chair, couch, or bed raised on horizontal poles and used as a mode of transport. [1588]
    • 1588, Thomas Hickok translating Cesare Federici as The Voyage and Trauaile of M. Caesar Frederick, Merchant of Venice into the East India, the Indies, and beyond the Indies..., p. 10:
      At the end of two moneths I determined to go for Goa in the companye of two other Portingale Merchants, which were making readye to depart, with two Palanchines or little Litters, which are very commodious for the waye, with eight Falchines which are men hired, to carrie the palanchines, eight for a palanchine, foure at a time...
    • 1885, Henry Austin Dobson, At the Sign of the Lyre, section 177:
      Behold the hero of the scene,
      In bungalow and palankeen.
    • 1889 December, Rudyard Kipling, “The Incarnation of Krishna Mulvaney”, in Macmillan's Magazine:
      'Sedan-chair! Put your 'ead in a bag. That was a palanquin. Don't yer know a palanquin when you see it?' said Ortheris with great scorn... What befell at that interview in the lonely pay-shed by the side of the half-built embankment, only a few hundred coolies know, and their tale is a confusing one, running thus... 'There was a palanquin, for the up-keep of which we were forced to pay nine-tenths of our monthly wage. On such mulctings Dearsley Sahib allowed us to make obeisance to him before the palanquin. What could we do? We were poor men. He took full half of our wages. Will the Government repay us those moneys?...'
    • 1999, Alf Hitlebeitel, Rethinking India's Oral and Classical Epics: Draupadi among Rajputs, Muslims, and Dalits, page 110:
      The palanquin carries Pābūjī—and, according to the description on the par, he rides his mare mother on the palanquin...—towards Rāma's heaven.
  2. (loosely) Synonym of litter, any similar vehicle open or closed, human or animal-borne, particularly (historical) in colonial Asian contexts.
    • 1871, Henry Court translating Sher Ali Afsos as The Araish-i-Mahfil, or, The Ornament of the Assembly, p. 31:
      ... but the cars of chaste women have either coverings thrown over them, or white sheets hung over; for instance, on the cars of the female part of the family of the deceased Nawabs Khanduran and Muzaffar Khan, there used generally to be fastened thick dirty white cloths, and in like manner also on their palanquins—although one brother was the chief treasurer, and the other a commander of seven thousand men. And most assuredly this is a requirement of modesty; for one whose palanquin or cart is turned out with much splendour, verily the idea comes to the minds of the sight-seers and common people, that in it there must be some lovely one, bright as the morning, the envy of the fairies. Hence, for the cars or palanquins for women to ride in to be greatly embroidered is, in the opinion of certain men of standing, who are worthy to be trusted, of great infamy.
    • 1892, "Notes", "Homiletic Commentary on The Song of Solomon", The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary on the Old Testament..., p. 142:
      Behold his bed which is Solomon's. 'His bed' מִטָּתוֹ (mittatho)... The word here is generally understood to denote a palanquin or litter. Same as the 'chariot' in verse ninth... A royal bridal chariot or palanquin... A portable bed... A palanquin, sedan, or portable vehicle, in which Kings in the East used to be carried when on a long journey...
    • 1991, Matthew Eynon, Palanquins, Procreative Power, and Politics: Case Studies of Nepal, Taiwan, and Japan, p. 316:
      This kogoshi, the simplest form of koshi palanquin, consists of a base with a raised railing and no roof.
    • 1992, Jocelyn Gohary et al., Akhenaten's Sed-Festival at Karnak, page 127:
      ... the fan-bearer shows that the bearers are those of the king's palanquin ...
    • 1993, “Royal Palanquin”, in Heritage of Thai Culture, page 99:
      In his records, La Loubere, Franch[sic – meaning French] Ambassador to Thailand in the reign of King Narai, described the appearance of the royal palanquin in Ayutthaya. It should be noted that the palanquin he mentioned as having 4 to 8 porters were small and not too heavy. They were probably palanquin for the king, members of the royal family or noblemen and were used to attend unimportant ceremonies.
    • 2000, A. Kodzo Paaku Kludze, Chieftaincy in Ghana, pages 121-122:
      In addition, there is enough space for a young boy to ride in the palanquin with the chief. This boy is believed to carry the souls of the ancestors and of the people which are enshrined in the stool... Since the Oath commemorates the loss of the palanquin, the Gbi Traditional Area decided not to procure another palanquin for the Fiagā in replacement. The Fiagā of Gbi, therefore, does not have a palanquin and must never ride in one...

Synonyms

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  • (all): palki
  • (generic term for Indian litters): andor (archaic)

Hypernyms

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Hyponyms

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  • chowpaul (open palanquin with arched support pole); meeana (open-sided palanquin); mihaffa (various covered litters)

Coordinate terms

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Descendants

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  • Czech: palankin
  • Danish: palankin
  • Polish: palankin

Translations

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References

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French

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Etymology

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From Portuguese palanquim (“palanquin, palanquin-bearer”), from Odia ପାଲଙ୍କି (pālaṅki, “litter”), ultimately from Sanskrit पल्यङ्क (palyaṅka), variant of पर्यङ्क (paryaṅka, “bed, couch, litter”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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palanquin m (plural palanquins)

  1. palanquin (Asian litter or sedan chair)

Descendants

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Further reading

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