karung guni
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Malay karung guni (“gunny sack”); guni is derived from Sanskrit गोणी (goṇī). Doublet of gunny.
Pronunciation edit
- enPR: käʹ-rəng go͞o'-nē, IPA(key): /ˈkɑːɹəŋ ˌɡuːni/, /-ɹɒŋ -/
- (Singapore) IPA(key): [ˈka˧.ɹaŋ˧ ˌɡu˧.ni˦], [-ɔŋ -]
Noun edit
karung guni (plural karung guni or karung gunis)
- (Singapore, Malaysia, metonymically or attributively) A traditional scrap dealer or rag-and-bone man who visits residential zones to collect unwanted items.
- 1994 January 12, Jennifer Tan, w:The New Paper, Singapore: Singapore Press Holdings Limited, page 6:
- […] Madam Wong Ah Hua, 76, said the karung guni man stopped making his rounds in her estate a few months ago.
- 2004 November 8, Andrew Wood, Today, Singapore: Mediacorp Press, →OCLC, page 16:
- The karung guni uncle below my block has been asked to move … By the very people he was making life easy for.
Further reading edit
- karung guni on Wikipedia.Wikipedia