gotong-royong

English

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Malay gotong-royong.

Noun

gotong-royong (countable and uncountable, plural gotong-royongs)

1. (uncountable, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore) Cooperation by members of a community to achieve a common goal.
   • 1978 December 7, “The good S’porean urged to set an example”, in The Straits Times, Singapore: Singapore Press Holdings, →OCLC, page 26, column 10:

     These [Housing and Development Board housing estates] must be the core areas where the concept of neighbourliness and the friendly smile and greeting can and must be promoted and the kampung spirit of ‘gotong royong’ preserved. [Quoting an editorial in the National Youth Leadership Training Institute Alumni’s newsletter.]

2. (countable, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore) An event where people clean up a place, such as sweeping and removing rubbish.

Malay

Alternative forms

• gotong royong

Etymology

Compound of Javanese gotong (“to carry”) + Javanese royong (“together”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌɡotoŋ ˈrojoŋ/ [ˌɡo.t̪oŋ ˈro.joŋ]
• Rhymes: -ojoŋ, -joŋ, -oŋ
• Hyphenation: go‧tong-ro‧yong

Noun

gotong-royong (Jawi spelling ݢوتوڠ - رويوڠ, uncountable)

1. Cooperation by members of a community to achieve a common goal that is considered useful for the common good and welfare.

   Near-synonym: kerjasama

Derived terms

Affixed terms and other derivations

Regular affixed derivations:

• bergotong-royong [stative / habitual] (beR-)

Descendants

• > Indonesian: gotong royong (inherited)
• → English: gotong royong
• → Iban: gutung-ruyung

See also

• толо́ка (tolóka), a similar concept in Ukrainian culture

References

• “gotong-royong”, in Kamus Dewan [The Institute Dictionary] (in Malay), Fourth edition, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2005, →ISBN

Further reading

• "gotong-royong" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017