Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kongsi

/ˈkɔŋ.si/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: kongsi
IPA: /ˈkɔŋ.si/

11

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

1

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A benevolent organization of popular origin found among overseas Chinese communities for individuals with the same surname.

Example Sentences

"By 1970, for instance, the state authorities considered these kongsi to be unfit and unhygienic for living, and they were ordered to be dismantled."
"The term kongsi loosely referred to any association of the Chinese, ranging from a business partnership to governments in West Borneo, secret societies and clan associations."
"A kongsi is a clan house, a building that’s partly a temple and partly a meeting hall for Chinese of the same clan or surname."

Etymology

Borrowed from Hokkien 公司 (kong-si, “company”). See also Hokkien 公班衙 (kong-pan-gêe / kong-pan-gê), English British East India Company, Dutch Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (“Dutch East India Company”, literally “United East India Company”).

Inflected Forms

kongsis (plural)

Synonyms

association

Questions

How do you pronounce kongsi?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkɔŋ.si/.
What does kongsi mean?: A benevolent organization of popular origin found among overseas Chinese communities for individuals with the same surname.
Where does kongsi come from?: Borrowed from Hokkien 公司 (kong-si, “company”). See also Hokkien 公班衙 (kong-pan-gêe / kong-pan-gê), English British East India Company, Dutch Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (“Dutch East India Company”, literally “United East India Company”).

How to pronounce kongsi

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “kongsi”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkɔŋ.si/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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