palanquin

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palanquin

  • /ˌpælənˈkin/ US
  • /ˈpælənˌkwɪn/ US
  • /ˌpalənˈkiːn/ UK
  • /ˈpaləŋkwɪn/ UK

Where it comes from

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.

noun palanquins · palankin · palankeen · palanchin · palanchine · palanchino

  1. India, 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. 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

    Similar: andor

  2. broadly Synonym of litter, any similar vehicle open or closed, human or animal-borne, particularly (historical) in colonial Asian contexts. ... 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

    Similar: litter, any similar vehicle open or closed, human or animal-borne, particularly, palki

Translations

Every language

noun an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair

Españolpalanquín
한국어가마 gama
日本語駕籠 kago, 輿 koshi
中文轎子 /轿子 jiàozi, 轎 /轿 jiào, 輿 /舆 yú
हिन्दीपालकी pālkī, डोली ḍolī
Portuguêspalanquim
Françaispalanquin
DeutschPalankin
Italianopalanchino
Românăpalanchin
Русскийпаланки́н palankín
Tiếng Việtkiệu, cáng
العربيةحَمَّالَة ḥammāla, مِحَفَّة miḥaffa

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MLA

"palanquin." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/palanquin. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

palanquin. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/palanquin

Chicago

"palanquin." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/palanquin.

BibTeX
@misc{palanquin_2026,
  title = {palanquin},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/palanquin},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}