Palkigari

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A carriage or cart considered similar-looking to a palanquin, particularly (historical) those instituted for regular service between major towns in British India in the 1840s. India

    "Once, during the last campaign we were in a great strait, to get up to Lahore from Allahabad, and, on applying one afternoon at the Post Office for a horsed palkee-garee we were informed, "that Major A. had engaged it with Captain B."—"Then, early to-morrow morning, could we have it?"—"No, it would not be back."—"Then, the following day?"—"No, two other officers had hired it for that day."—"Well, then, when ever can we have it," we rather angrily asked—"Oh!" said the dear Baboo, "on Saturday next" (that day being Wednesday) "if a lady and gentleman, at Mr. Berrill's hotel, do not take it..." Even in these "piping times of peace," we hear of people having to wait two or three days to get a public garee, along the main road of India."

Example

More examples

"Once, during the last campaign we were in a great strait, to get up to Lahore from Allahabad, and, on applying one afternoon at the Post Office for a horsed palkee-garee we were informed, "that Major A. had engaged it with Captain B."—"Then, early to-morrow morning, could we have it?"—"No, it would not be back."—"Then, the following day?"—"No, two other officers had hired it for that day."—"Well, then, when ever can we have it," we rather angrily asked—"Oh!" said the dear Baboo, "on Saturday next" (that day being Wednesday) "if a lady and gentleman, at Mr. Berrill's hotel, do not take it..." Even in these "piping times of peace," we hear of people having to wait two or three days to get a public garee, along the main road of India."

Etymology

From Hindi पालकी गाड़ी (pālkī gāṛī), from पालकी (pālkī, “palanquin, litter, sedan chair”) + गाड़ी (gāṛī, “cart, carriage, truck, car”), q.v.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.