also: クリー
Historical term for an unskilled laborer, especially in East Asia, often with colonial-era connotations. The word is a loan from Chinese 苦力 (kǔlì).
from Chinese kǔlì
In the 19th century, many coolies were forced to work on plantations in Southeast Asia.
The word 'coolie' now has discriminatory overtones, so caution is needed.
Standard katakana spelling for this loanword; usually written in kana.
Alternate katakana spelling; less common than クーリー.
Ateji kanji spelling; rarely used and may not be widely recognized.
Loanword from Chinese 苦力 (kǔlì), meaning 'hard labor' or 'coolie'. Entered Japanese via English or directly from Chinese, with the katakana spelling reflecting the pronunciation.