The history of this word is still obscure. It is almost certainly a loan from some non-Austronesian source, and its distribution in most languages, including all those of the Philippines and eastern Indonesia, probably is a product of borrowing from language__Malay. However, it is also found in language__Old Javanese texts that are centuries old, and its application to terms in carpentry (language__Bikol) and house construction (language__Asilulu) raises questions about a possible earlier meaning that was later transferred to scissors once these were introduced.
Despite the improbability of it being native, Dempwolff (1938) posited ‘Uraustronesisch’ *guntiŋ ‘scissors’, and Mills (1975) posited language__Proto-South Sulawesi *gun(tc)iŋ ‘shears; to cut’. The most likely source of this word, which shows irregular sound correspondences in several languages, is some southern form of Chinese, but this is yet to be confirmed. The use of scissors presumably spread widely within a short time because they offered a far more convenient means of cutting hair than was previously possible with the use of single straight blades, as with knives.
| WMP | ||
| Kapampangan | guntíŋ | scissors |
| ma-ŋuntiŋ | to cut with scissors | |
| Tagalog | guntiŋ-ín | cut something with scissors |
| guntíŋ | scissors | |
| Hanunóo | guntíŋ | any cutting edge or blade, as of a knife, which is sharpened or beveled from one side only; this type of bevel; scissors |
| Romblomanon | guntiŋ | a pair of scissors |
| guntiŋ-un | someone cuts something with scissors | |
| Masbatenyo | guntíŋ-on | to cut with scissors |
| gúntiŋ | scissors, shears | |
| Tboli | guntiŋ | scissors |
| Aklanon | gúntiŋ | scissors, shears; to cut with scissors or shears |
| Waray-Waray | guntíŋ | a pair of scissors |
| guntiŋ-á | to cut off with a pair of scissors | |
| Hiligaynon | gúntiŋ | scissors; haircut |
| mag-gúntiŋ | to cut with scissors | |
| Cebuano | guntiŋ | scissors; scissors in game of (hammer, scissors, paper); cut with scissors |
| Binukid | guntiŋ | scissors; to cut (something) with scissors |
| Maranao | gontiŋ | scissors; cut with scissors |
| Manobo (Western Bukidnon) | guntiŋ | scissors; to cut with scissors |
| Mansaka | gontiŋ | cut with scissors |
| Tiruray | guntiŋ | a pair of scissors |
| Yakan | pag-guntiŋ | haircutting ceremony; name-giving ceremony (it is usually a big occasion; many people attend and much food is provided) |
| guntiŋ | scissors | |
| Tombonuwo | guntiŋ | scissors |
| Mapun | guntiŋ-un | to cut something with scissors; cut someone’s hair |
| ŋuntiŋ | to cut something with scissors; cut someone’s hair | |
| guntiŋ | scissors, shears | |
| Kadazan Dusun | guntiŋ-an | to cut (for someone) |
| guntiŋ | scissors | |
| guntiŋ-on | to have cut something | |
| Ida'an Begak | guntiŋ | scissors |
| g<əm>untiŋ | to cut with scissors | |
| Tausug | mag-pa-guntiŋ | to have one’s hair cut |
| guntiŋ | scissors | |
| g<um>untiŋ | to cut something (with scissors or an instrument resembling scissors) | |
| Gayō | mu-guntiŋ | to cut the hair |
| guntiŋ | scissors; tonsure, haircut | |
| Bintulu | gutiŋ | scissors |
| Melanau (Mukah) | gutiŋ | scissors |
| mə-gutiŋ | to cut with scissors | |
| Toba Batak | guttiŋ ~ gustíŋ | scissors |
| Karo Batak | ŋguntiŋ | cut the hair with a knife or piece of glass |
| per-guntiŋ | knife or glass fragment used to cut hair | |
| Iban | guntin ~ guntiŋ | scissors, shears; cut with scissors (as hair) |
| Malay | guntiŋ | shears; scissors; cutting with shears |
| Nias | guti | scissors |
| mo-guti | to cut with scissors | |
| Mongondow | gonsiŋ-an | cut something off; cut into something |
| mo-gonsiŋ | to cut, cut through | |
| go-gonsiŋ | scissors | |
| Pendau | guntiŋ | scissors |
| Ngaju Dayak | guntiŋ ~ kuntíŋ | what is cut (with scissors) |
| ba-guntíŋ | to cut the hair | |
| Bare'e | mo-gunji | cut something with scissors |
| gunji | scissors | |
| Tae' | maʔ-gontiŋ | use scissors, cut the hair with scissors |
| gontiŋ | scissors | |
| Mandar | gocciŋ | scissors; to cut with scissors, as cloth |
| Buginese | gonciŋ | scissors |
| gonciŋ-i | to cut with scissors, as hair | |
| Wolio | po-gunti | get a haircut |
| gunti kakatua | hair clipper | |
| gunti | (pair of) scissors; to snip, cut with scissors | |
| Muna | po-gunti | cut in two, broken, severed |
| ka-gunti | scissors | |
| gunti | scissors; to cut (with scissors, knife, axe, etc.) | |
| Makassarese | gonciŋ | scissors |
| Sundanese | guntiŋ | scissors |
| ŋa-guntiŋ | to cut, cut out or off | |
| Madurese | a-gunteŋ | to cut with scissors, cut the hair |
| gunteŋ | scissors | |
| Old Javanese | guntiŋ | scissors |
| g<in>untiŋ | to cut with scissors | |
| a-guntiŋ | to cut (have cut) the hair | |
| Javanese | guntiŋ-an | a piece cut from something |
| ŋuntiŋ | to cut (out, into) with scissors | |
| guntiŋ | scissors, shears | |
| Balinese | guntiŋ | scissors |
| ŋ-guntiŋ | to shave; cut the hair | |
| Sasak | guntiŋ | scissors |
| bə-guntiŋ | to cut with scissors | |
| Bikol | guntíŋ | scissors; A-beam (carpentry) |
| mag-guntíŋ | to cut with scissors | |
| CMP | ||
| Buruese | guntiŋ | scissors; to cut with scissors |
| Asilulu | guntiŋ | scissors; the forking timbers that support a peaked roof; to cut with scissors |
| Kei | guntiŋ | scissors |
| Rembong | guntiŋ | scissors; to cut with scissors |
| Manggarai | gojiŋ | scissors |
| Kambera | ŋgutiŋu | scissors; to cut the hair |
| Rotinese | ŋgute | to cut with scissors, as hair |
| Wetan | konti | scissors |
| SHWNG | ||
| Buli | guti | scissors; to cut with scissors |
| Numfor | guntiŋ | scissors |