gawai

Iban

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *gaway (“religious feast; festivity”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɡawai̯]
• Hyphenation: ga‧wai

Noun

gawai

1. festive, celebration

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Javanese ꦒꦮꦺ (gawé, “work, use”), from Old Javanese gawe, gaway (“work, task, occupation; work, product; feast, celebration; use, purpose”), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *gaway (“religious feast; festivity”). Cognate of Balinese ᬕᬯᬾ (gaé, “work”).

• The sense “gadget” is a semantic loan from English gadget.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɡawai̯]
• Hyphenation: ga‧wai

Noun

gawai (plural gawai-gawai, first-person possessive gawaiku, second-person possessive gawaimu, third-person possessive gawainya)

1. gadget (electronics product)
2. (archaic) work, job

   Synonyms: kerja, pekerjaan

3. (obsolete) tool, equipment.

   Synonyms: alat, perkakas

Derived terms

• pegawai

 

Further reading

• “gawai” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.