palanquin

noun

1. (formerly in India and other Eastern countries) a passenger conveyance, usually for one person, consisting of a covered or boxlike litter carried by means of poles resting on the shoulders of several men.

noun

1. a covered litter, formerly used in the Orient, carried on the shoulders of four men

n.“a covered litter,” 1580s, from Portuguese palanquim (early 16c.), from Malay and Javanese palangki “litter, sedan,” ultimately from Sanskrit palyanka-s “couch, bed, litter,” from pari “around” + ancati “it bends, curves,” related to anka-s “a bend, hook, angle,” and meaning, perhaps, “that which bends around the body.” Some have noted the “curious coincidence” of Spanish palanca, from Latin phalanga “pole to carry a burden.”