dooly

See also: Dooly

English

One form of dooly

Another type

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)

1. (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.

2. (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.

3. (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, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.