gunny
UK[ˈɡʌni]US[ˈɡʌni]
n
A coarse, heavy fabric made typically from jute or hemp, used especially for making sacks.
Etymology
The word 'gunny' entered English in the early 18th century, borrowed from the Marathi and Sanskrit word 'gonī', which means 'sack'. This term traveled through Indian trade languages into English, specifically referring to the coarse sacking material produced in the region. The direct adoption of the word reflects the colonial trade networks that brought both the material and its name to the English-speaking world. Its meaning has remained remarkably stable, preserving its original reference to a type of sackcloth.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword. It does not contain separable morphemes within its modern English spelling.
Examples
The potatoes were shipped in large gunny sacks.
They used gunny cloth to protect the delicate plants from the frost.
The old gunny bag, rough and sturdy, had been reused for years.