dooly

See also: Dooly

English

Alternative forms

dhooley, dhooly, dhouly, dhuli, dohleh, doolae, doli, doolee, dooley, doolie, dowle, dowlee

Etymology

From Hindi डोली (ḍolī), from डोला (ḍolā, “litter”) + -ई (-ī, “forming diminutives”), from Sanskrit दोल (dōlā, “dangling cradle; litter”), from दुल् (dul, “to swing”). Compare andor from Sanskrit हिन्दोल (hindola) via Portuguese.

Pronunciation

Rhymes: -uːli

Noun

dooly (plural doolies)

(India, now chiefly historical) A basic Indian litter or sedan chair made of poles, ropes, and a seat or cloth.
- 1877, D. B. Allen et al., “A Statistical Account of Bengal”, in Districts of Gayá and Sháhábád, volume 12, pages 81-82:
  The dhulí is a slight bamboo framework covered with coarse cloth, about two and a half feet square, with a bedding made of string woven across, on which the passenger sits. It is slung on a stout bamboo pole, and carried by two or four men.
- 1882, F. Marion Crawford, Mr. Isaacs‎^[1]:
  He said I should not be able to ride much farther, as the pass beyond Sultanpoor was utterly impracticable for horses; coolies, however, awaited me with a dooly, one of those low litters slung on a bamboo, in which you may travel swiftly and without effort, but to the destruction of the digestive organs.
(India, archaic) Synonym of stretcher, a basic litter used for transport of the ill and injured.
- 1863, W.H.G. Kingston, Our Soldiers‎^[2]:
  He also, in conjunction with Private John Ryan, rushed into the street under a heavy fire, and took Captain Arnold, 1st Madras Fusiliers, out of a dooly, and brought him into the house, that officer being again hit while they were so doing.
- 1840, T.W.E. Holdsworth, Campaign of the Indus‎^[3]:
  I thought at first I was as good as done for; however, on regaining a little strength, I looked around, and seeing none of our men in the place, and thinking it more than probable, from what I knew of their character, that the very men whom I had been endeavouring to save might take it into their heads to give me the "coup de grace" now I was left alone, I made a desperate effort, got on my legs, and managed to hobble out, when I soon found some of our men, who supported me until a dooly could be brought, into which I was placed, and was soon on my way to the doctor.
(India, obsolete) Synonym of litter of whatever type.

Related terms

hooly dooly

Translations

basic Indian litter or sedan chair

Hindi: डोली (hi) (ḍolī)

References

“dooly”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
“doolie, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.