buruh

Indonesian

Etymology

From Malay buruh, from Old Malay vuruh (“workmen”), from Old Javanese buruh (“paid man”), wuruh, uruh, wĕrĕh (“young man”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈburuh/, [ˈbu.rʊh]
• Hyphenation: bu‧ruh

Noun

buruh (first-person possessive buruhku, second-person possessive buruhmu, third-person possessive buruhnya)

1. laborer, labourer, worker: one who uses body strength instead of intellectual power to earn a wage, usually hourly.

Hyponyms

• buruh anak
• buruh harian
• buruh kasar
• buruh lepas
• buruh marginal
• buruh migran
• buruh musiman
• buruh pabrik
• buruh tambang
• buruh tani
• buruh terampil
• buruh terlatih

 

Coordinate terms

• karyawan
• kuli
• pegawai
• pekerja
• tenaga kerja

 

Derived terms

• buruhan
• memburuh
• perburuhan
• serikat buruh

 

Further reading

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

Old Javanese

Etymology

Unknown, probably related to wuruh, uruh (“young man”) and Proto-Mon-Khmer *ruh, *ruuh (“young girl, virgin”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbu.ruh/
• Hyphenation: buruh

Noun

buruh

1. paid man

Derived terms

• buruhan
• praṅ buruh

 

Descendants

• → Old Malay: vuruh (“workmen”)
  • Malay: buruh
    • Indonesian: buruh (“laborer, labourer, worker”)

References

• "buruh" in P.J. Zoetmulder with the collaboration of S.O. Robson, Old Javanese-English Dictionary. 's-Gravenhage: M. Nijhoff, 1982.