LingvoCore.com

agung: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Low
UK/ˈɑːɡʊŋ/US/ˈɑːɡʊŋ/

Specialist/Technical (Ethnomusicology), Formal

My Flashcards

Quick answer

What does “agung” mean?

A large, traditional Indonesian gong used in gamelan ensembles.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A large, traditional Indonesian gong used in gamelan ensembles.

A ceremonial gong of significant size and symbolic importance in Southeast Asian cultures, especially Javanese and Balinese, used to mark important moments in music and ritual.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant differences; the term is equally rare in both varieties.

Connotations

Connotes expertise in world music, ethnomusicology, or Southeast Asian culture.

Frequency

Extremely low frequency in general English; found almost exclusively in academic, musical, or anthropological contexts.

Grammar

How to Use “agung” in a Sentence

the [Javanese/Balinese] agungan agung from [place]the sound of an/the agung

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
Javanese agungBalinese agunggamelan agungsacred agunglarge agung
medium
sound of the agungbeat the agungbronze agung
weak
ceremonial agungtraditional agungancient agung

Examples

Examples of “agung” in a Sentence

verb

British English

  • The musician will agung the gong to signal the start of the ceremony.
  • He agunged the instrument with a deep, resonant stroke.

American English

  • The performer agungs the large gong during the finale.
  • She expertly agunged the ceremonial instrument.

adverb

British English

  • Not used as an adverb.

American English

  • Not used as an adverb.

adjective

British English

  • The agung player took his position. (as a noun adjunct)
  • They discussed the agung tradition.

American English

  • The agung sound filled the hall. (as a noun adjunct)
  • He is an agung specialist.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Not used.

Academic

Used in ethnomusicology, anthropology, and Southeast Asian studies papers.

Everyday

Virtually never used.

Technical

Used precisely to denote the specific large gong in a gamelan ensemble.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “agung”

Strong

sacred gongceremonial gong

Neutral

gonglarge gong

Weak

percussion instrumentmetal instrument

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “agung”

small belltiny chime

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “agung”

  • Capitalizing it as a proper noun (use lowercase unless starting a sentence).
  • Using it as a general term for any gong.
  • Mispronouncing it with a hard 'g' as in 'gun' (/ɡ/); the 'g' is soft as in 'gung' (/ɡʊŋ/).

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No, it is a highly specialized loanword used primarily in academic and musical discussions about Southeast Asian culture.

In general contexts, 'gong' is acceptable, but 'agung' specifies the particular large, culturally significant gong used in Indonesian gamelan.

Pronounced AH-goong, with a soft 'g' sound and the stress on the first syllable: /ˈɑːɡʊŋ/.

It comes from Indonesian/Malay and Javanese, meaning 'great', 'large', or 'grand', reflecting the instrument's size and importance.

A large, traditional Indonesian gong used in gamelan ensembles.

Agung is usually specialist/technical (ethnomusicology), formal in register.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “None in common English usage.”

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

A-GONG: Think 'A' very large 'GONG' from Indonesia.

Conceptual Metaphor

A FOUNDATIONAL ANCHOR (as the agung often provides the foundational beat in gamelan music).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
In a traditional gamelan ensemble, the deep, resonant sound that marks the cyclical structure is produced by the .
Multiple Choice

What is an 'agung' primarily?

agung: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples | Lingvocore