Rickshaw-Wallah
/ˈrɪk.ʃɔː ˌwɒl.ə/noun
A person who drives or operates a rickshaw, especially in South Asian English.
Did you know?Rickshaw ultimately comes from Japanese jinrikisha, meaning “human-powered vehicle,” while wallah is a South Asian suffix for someone connected with a job, object, or activity.
Etymological Timeline
Late 19th Century
Japanese
jinrikisha
“A human-powered vehicle; from jin, “person,” riki, “power,” and sha, “vehicle.””
Late 19th Century
English
rickshaw
“An English shortening and adaptation of Japanese jinrikisha.”
19th Century
Hindi
-vālā
“A suffix meaning a person associated with, possessing, selling, or working with something.”
19th–20th Century
South Asian English
rickshaw-wallah
“A rickshaw operator or driver.”
Modern English
English
rickshaw-wallah
“A person who drives or operates a rickshaw.”