noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American:/ˌpælənˈkin/
General-American:/ˈpælənˌkwɪn/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌpalənˈkiːn/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈpaləŋkwɪn/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An enclosed human-borne litter or sedan chair, a large box with a chair, couch, or bed raised on horizontal poles and used as a mode of transport.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: India, historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Synonym of litter, any similar vehicle open or closed, human or animal-borne, particularly (historical) in colonial Asian contexts.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: litter, any similar vehicle open or closed, human or animal-borne, particularly
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a closed litter carried on the shoulders of four bearers
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: palankeen
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: litter
History
Etymology
From Portuguese palanquim (“Asian litter, litter-bearer”), from Odia ପାଲଙ୍କି (pālaṅki, “litter”), ultimately from Sanskrit पल्यङ्क (palyaṅka), variant of पर्यङ्क (paryaṅka, “bed, couch, litter”). Doublet of palki.
Across languages
Translations
72 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
palankin
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Arabic:
حَمَّالَة
(ḥammāla)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Arabic:
مِحَفَّة
(miḥaffa)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Armenian:
դեսպակ
(despak)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Armenian:
ժանվար
(žanvar)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Armenian:
գահավորակ
(gahavorak)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Armenian:
գահույք
(gahuykʻ)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Belarusian:
паланкі́н
(palankín)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Bengali:
পালকি
(paloki)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Bulgarian:
паланкин
(palankin)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Bulgarian:
покрита носилка
(pokrita nosilka)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Burmese:
သန်လျင်း
(sanlyang:)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Burmese:
ဝေါ
(wau:)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Catalan:
palanquí
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Chinese Mandarin:
轎子 /轿子
(jiàozi)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Chinese Mandarin:
轎 /轿
(jiào)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Chinese Mandarin:
輿 /舆
(yú)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Czech:
palankýn
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Czech:
palankin
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Danish:
palankin
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Dutch:
palankijn
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Esperanto:
palankeno
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Finnish:
palankiini
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
French:
palanquin
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Galician:
palanquín
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
German:
Palankin
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Ancient Greek:
φορεῖον
(phoreîon)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Hindi:
पालकी
(pālkī)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Hindi:
डोली
(ḍolī)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Icelandic:
burðarstóll
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Icelandic:
burðarrekkja
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Italian:
palanchino
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Japanese:
駕籠
(kago)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Japanese:
輿
(koshi)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Khmer:
វ
(vɔɔ)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Khmer:
សលៀង
(sɑɑsɑliəng)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Korean:
가마
(gama)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Lao:
ຍານະ
(nyā na)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Lao:
ຕະຫລ່ຽງ
(ta līang)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Lao:
ວໍ
(wǭ)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Lao:
ສະຫລ່ຽງ
(sa līang)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Lao:
ສິວິກາ
(si wi kā)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Lao:
ຄານຫາມ
(khān hām)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Lü:
ᦶᦂᧁᧈ
(k̇aew1)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Malayalam:
പല്ലക്ക്
(pallakkŭ)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Marathi:
मेणा
(meṇā)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Marathi:
पालखी
(pālkhī)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Mon:
ဝဝ်
(wò)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Mon:
သြေၚ်
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Occitan:
palanquin
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Persian:
پالکی
(pâlki)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Polish:
palankin
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Portuguese:
palanquim
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Romanian:
palanchin
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Russian:
паланки́н
(palankín)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Shan:
ဝေႃး
(wáu)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Spanish:
palanquín
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Swedish:
palankin
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Tamil:
பல்லாக்கு
(pallākku)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Telugu:
అందలము
(andalamu)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Telugu:
పల్లకి
(pallaki)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Thai:
คานหาม
(kaan-hǎam)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Thai:
วอ
(wɔɔ)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Thai:
เกี้ยว
(gîao)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Thai:
แคร่หาม
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Thai:
เสลี่ยง
(sà-lìiang)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Turkish:
tahtırevan
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Ottoman Turkish:
سدیه
(sedye)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Ukrainian:
паланкі́н
(palankín)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Urdu:
پالکی
(pālkī)
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Vietnamese:
kiệu
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
Vietnamese:
cáng
— an enclosed litter, particularly in Indian contexts — see also litter, sedan chair
