also: クリー
noun
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
19世紀、多くのクーリーが東南アジアのプランテーションで働かされた。
In the 19th century, many coolies were forced to work on plantations in Southeast Asia.
「クーリー」という言葉は、現在では差別的な響きがあるため注意が必要だ。
The word 'coolie' now has discriminatory overtones, so caution is needed.
Ateji kanji spelling; rarely used and may not be widely recognized.
Same meaning, but the kanji form is ateji and very rare; クーリー is the usual spelling.
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.