longhouse
/ˈlɒŋhaʊs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlɔːŋhaʊs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlȯŋ-ˌhau̇s -ˈhau̇s/ (ame, mw)
longhouse — noun
- longhousesingular
- longhousesplural
1. a long, narrow rural building shared by multiple families, where each household
a long, narrow rural building shared by multiple families, where each household occupies a separate section along a single corridor under one roof
The Bidayuh people of Borneo still build wooden longhouses along the river for extended families.
extended families live in shared longhouse sections
Tourists can stay overnight in a traditional longhouse on the island of Borneo.
Each section of the longhouse has its own cooking fire and sleeping area.
The village chief called a meeting on the covered veranda of the longhouse.
In the past, several families in Sarawak shared one longhouse with a single long hallway.
- communal house
broader term that does not specify the long, narrow shape
- bachelor hall
a similar shared-dwelling concept but typically for single men only
文法句型
longhouse + verb (singular)
longhouses + verb (plural)
用法筆記
Commonly associated with the communal dwellings of Dayak and related peoples in Southeast Asia. Distinguish from sense 2, which refers to Indigenous North American longhouse traditions that differ in construction materials and cultural function.
2. a traditional elongated dwelling built from wood, bark, or other natural materia
a traditional elongated dwelling built from wood, bark, or other natural materials by Indigenous peoples of North America — especially the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) — used both as a multi-family home and as a place for ceremonies, councils, and community gatherings
An Iroquois longhouse could hold up to twenty families from the same clan.
Iroquois longhouse — multiple families per clan
The Haudenosaunee longhouse served as the center for both political councils and religious ceremonies.
Haudenosaunee longhouse — political and religious center
Lena Sato learned how the Mohawk built longhouses with elm bark over a pole frame.
Each family in the longhouse had a private compartment along the central hallway.
The museum built a full-scale replica of a sixteenth-century Iroquois longhouse.
- Iroquois longhouse
more specific, identifying the people most associated with this dwelling type
- ceremonial lodge
a broader term that may refer to different shapes or building traditions
文法句型
longhouse + verb (singular)
longhouses + verb (plural)
用法筆記
In Indigenous North American communities, the same longhouse structure served both as a daily residence for extended families and as a venue for political councils, ceremonies, and cultural gatherings — the two functions were not separate buildings. Distinguish from sense 1, which refers to Southeast Asian multi-family longhouses built from wood, typically on stilts.
常見錯誤
3. a ceremonial gathering or community meeting that takes place inside a longhouse,
a ceremonial gathering or community meeting that takes place inside a longhouse, used by some Indigenous North American groups to refer to the event itself rather than only the building it is held in
Tomas was invited to attend a longhouse at the Six Nations reserve next Saturday.
attend a longhouse = attend a ceremony
The community held a longhouse to celebrate the harvest and give thanks.
hold a longhouse + purpose
The community held a longhouse every spring to pass down stories of their ancestors.
Our family has not missed a single longhouse in the last twenty winters.
- ceremonial gathering
more descriptive but less specific to the longhouse tradition
文法句型
attend a longhouse
hold a longhouse
go to longhouse
用法筆記
Metonymic sense: the word refers to the event (ceremony or meeting) rather than the physical building. Compare 'a longhouse' (the structure) vs 'a longhouse' (the gathering held in it). Context disambiguates: phrases like 'attend a longhouse' or 'hold a longhouse' signal the event sense.