kakak

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See also: kakák

Indonesian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ka.kaʔ/
  • Hyphenation: ka‧kak

Etymology 1

From Malay kakak (older sister), from Classical Malay kakak, from Proto-Malayic *kakaʔ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaka, from Proto-Austronesian *kaka.

Noun

kakak (plural)

  1. (literally or figuratively, formal) older sibling
  2. (literally or figuratively, chiefly Sumatra and Kalimantan) older sister
  3. (literally or figuratively, chiefly Jakarta and Java) older brother
  4. (chiefly Jakarta) a form of address to an older person (same generation or one generation before)
  5. (colloquial) a form of address to any stranger
Usage notes
  • People in areas with Malay populations and speaking vernacular Malay dialects only use kakak to address older sisters, otherwise outside those places like Jakarta, it is gender neutral.
  • In formal situations (e.g. to address a customer), kakak may be used to address someone with impression she/he is not 'old person' (youthful nuance).
Alternative forms
Synonyms
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Inherited from Malay kakak. Onomatopoeic, compare to Tagalog kakak.

Root

kakak

  1. quack, cluck
  2. laugh
    Synonyms: kakah, kahkah
Derived terms

Further reading

Javanese

Romanization

kakak

  1. Romanization of ꦏꦏꦏ꧀.

Malay

Etymology 1

From Proto-Malayic *kakaʔ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaka, from Proto-Austronesian *kaka. Sense of older male sibling lost in Singapore and Malay Peninsular.

Pronunciation

Noun

kakak (Jawi spelling کاکق, plural kakak-kakak, informal 1st possessive kakakku, 2nd possessive kakakmu, 3rd possessive kakaknya)

  1. sister (older woman or girl having the same parents)
  2. (rare) sibling (older person who shares same parents)
  3. (rare) brother (older male sibling)
    Synonyms: abang, uda
  4. term of address for a female acquaintance who is a bit older
    engko (engku)

Derived terms

  • Malay: kakanda, kak, Kak

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic, compare to Tagalog kakak.

Noun

kakak (Jawi spelling کاکق, plural kakak-kakak, informal 1st possessive kakakku, 2nd possessive kakakmu, 3rd possessive kakaknya)

  1. cackle (of duck and geese)
  2. laugh
    Synonyms: dekah, kakah, kahkah

Derived terms

References

  • Pijnappel, Jan (1875) “کاکق kakak”, in Maleisch-Hollandsch woordenboek, John Enschede en Zonen, Frederik Muller, page 75
  • Wilkinson, Richard James (1901) “کاکق kakak”, in A Malay-English dictionary, Hong Kong: Kelly & Walsh limited, page 497
  • Wilkinson, Richard James (1932) “kakak”, in A Malay-English dictionary (romanised), volume I, Mytilene, Greece: Salavopoulos & Kinderlis, page 499

Tagalog

Alternative forms

Etymology

Onomatopoeic. Compare Indonesian kakak.

Pronunciation

Noun

kakak (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜃᜃ᜔)

  1. cackle or cackling of a hen, duck, etc.
    Synonym: putak

Derived terms

See also

Further reading

  • kakak”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018