Saroong
/səˈruːŋ/noun
A variant spelling of sarong, a wrapped garment worn around the body, especially in Southeast Asia.
Did you know?The spelling “saroong” reflects older English attempts to represent Malay pronunciation before “sarong” became the standard form.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Malayo-Polynesian
PMP
*saruŋ
“A covering, wrap, or sheath; the reconstructed ancestral form behind Malay sarung.”
Classical Malay
Malay
sarung
“A sheath, cover, or wrapped garment.”
19th Century
Malay
sarong
“A wrapped lower-body garment, especially in the Malay world.”
19th Century
English
saroong
“An English variant spelling for the Malay garment.”
Modern English
English
sarong
“The standard modern spelling for the wrapped garment; “saroong” survives as a historical or variant form.”