page_title: Dusun people
section_title: Etymology
hierarchical_section_title: Dusun people / Etymology
context_page_description: Dusun is the collective name of a tribe or ethnic and linguistic group in the Malaysian state of Sabah of North Borneo. Collectively, they form the largest ethnic group in Sabah. Dusun has been recognized as among the indigenous community of Borneo, with documented heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization since 2004.
  Other similarly termed, yet non-related groups can also be found in Brunei and the Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Bruneian Dusuns are not directly related to the Dusun people of Sabah. Bruneian Dusuns are culturally, historically and linguistically shared a common origin, language and identity with the Bisaya people of Brunei, northern Sarawak and southwestern Sabah. In Indonesia, the Barito Dusun groups that can be found throughout the Barito River system belonged to the Ot Danum Dayak people instead.
context_section_description: The Dusuns do not have the word 'Dusun' in their vocabulary. It has been suggested that the term 'Dusun' was a term used by the Sultan of Brunei to refer to the ethnic groups of inland farmers in present-day Sabah. 'Dusun' means 'orchard' in Malay. Since most of the west coast of North Borneo was under the influence of the Sultan of Brunei, taxes called 'Duis' (also referred to as the 'River Tax' on the area of southeast of North Borneo) were collected by the sultanate from the 'Orang Dusun', or 'Dusun people'. Hence, since 1881, after the establishment of the British North Borneo Company, the British administration categorized the linguistically-similar, 12 main and 33 sub-tribes collectively as 'Dusun'. The Buludupih and Idahan, who had converted to Islam for religious reasons, had preferred to be called "Sungei" and "Idaan" respectively although they come from the same sub-tribes.
caption: Illustration of Dusun traders by Allan Stewart in British North Borneo, by L. W. W. Gudgeon.
exif: {}