Kenong
/kəˈnɒŋ/noun
A small, horizontally mounted gong used in Javanese and Balinese gamelan ensembles.
Did you know?The word is probably connected to the resonant syllable “nong,” an imitative representation of the instrument’s characteristic tone, rather than to an ancient European magical root.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-modern period
Javanese
kenong
“A small gong used within Javanese musical ensembles.”
Pre-modern period
Javanese
nong
“A resonant sound-symbolic syllable associated with a gong-like tone; the precise derivation is uncertain.”
19th Century
Dutch
kenong
“A Javanese gamelan instrument documented in European descriptions of Indonesian music.”
19th–20th Century
Malay/Indonesian
kenong
“A small gong in Southeast Asian ensemble music.”
Modern English
English
kenong
“A borrowed term for the small gong used in Javanese or Balinese gamelan.”