What are meaning, origin and usage of word ‘Palanquin’?
Meaning: This noun refers to a structure formerly used in East Asia for transporting one person. It consists of a box carried by four or six people by means of two long poles.
Origin: In use since the 16th Century. 1580s, it is from the Portuguese word palanquim, which is from the Malay and Javanese word palangki, meaning litter or sedan (enclosed seat used for transporting people). This, in tum, is from the Sanskrit word palyanka, meaning couch, litter, from the words 'pari (meaning around)+'ancati, (meaning it bends, curves), meaning, perhaps, that which bends around the body.
Example: "Palanquin Bearers" is a poem by Sarojini Naidu.
Picture Credit : Google
