List of loan words in Indonesian
The Indonesian language has absorbed many loanwords from other languages:
- Early Hindu and Buddhist influence from India results in many Sanskrit words in Indonesian (and especially Javanese). Indian traders may have contributed words as well, in Sanskrit-related languages as well as Tamil.
- Muslim influence, which came at first through Arabic traders, over a number of centuries results in an extensive Arabic influence.
- Portuguese contact, trade and colonization in the 16th century was the first contact between Indonesia and European culture, and had an influence that remains today, in spite of the relatively short time period of that influence.
- Dutch colonization and administration, lasting from the 17th century to the 20th, had an extensive impact on the vocabulary. As Dutch-trained linguists determined the rules for the official Indonesian language, Dutch thus had an impact on the structure of the language as well.
- Modern Indonesian regularly adapts new words from other languages, particularly English.
See Indonesian history for more detail.
Indonesian differs from the Malay language in a number of respects, particularly the influence it had from Dutch. See Differences between Malay and Indonesian.
List of loanwords
Almost all loan words in Indonesian with Chinese origin comes from Hokkien dialect.
Bibliography
de Vries, Jan W., Grijns, C.D. and Santa Maria, L. 1983 Indonesian : a check-list of words of European origin in Bahasa Indonesia and traditional Malay Leiden : Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde. ISBN 90-6718-004-1.
| Word | Meaning | Language borrowed from |
|---|---|---|
| agama | religion | Sanskrit |
| aksara | letter | Sanskrit |
| bahasa | language | Sanskrit |
| bakti, bhakti | homage, devotion, service etc. | Sanskrit |
| berita | news | Sanskrit |
| budi | reason | Sanskrit |
| bumi | earth | Sanskrit |
| cahaya | light | Sanskrit |
| cakram, cakra | disk, sphere etc. | Sanskrit |
| cakrawala | horizon | Sanskrit |
| dana | donation, funds | Sanskrit |
| dharma, darma | duty, good deeds (i.e. charity), truth etc. | Sanskrit |
| desa | village | Sanskrit |
| genta | bell | Sanskrit |
| guna | utilize, use, purpose | Sanskrit |
| guru | teacher, guru | Sanskrit |
| jasa | merit, service etc. | Sanskrit |
| karma | karma (Hindu origin) | Sanskrit |
| karya | work, oeuvre | Sanskrit |
| kepala | head | Sanskrit |
| kerja | work (same origin as karya) | Sanskrit |
| mantra | mantra | Sanskrit |
| menteri | minister (head of a government department) | Sanskrit |
| nama | name | Sanskrit |
| negara | country | Sanskrit |
| negeri | city (lit.) | Sanskrit |
| pahala | merit, reward (for moral conduct) | Sanskrit |
| paksa | to force | Sanskrit |
| pustaka | book | Sanskrit |
| rasa | emotion, feeling, taste | Sanskrit |
| sastra | literature | Sanskrit |
| seteru | enemy | Sanskrit |
| topi | hat | Sanskrit |
| utara | north | Sanskrit |
| warna | colour | Sanskrit |
| warta | news (same origin as berita) | Sanskrit |
| warta berita | news broadcast | Sanskrit |
| apam | kind of cake | Tamil |
| kedai | foodstall | Tamil |
| akal | reason (Ar. 'aqlun) | Arabic |
| akhir | end (Ar. akhirun) | Arabic |
| akhlak | moral ( Ar. akhlaqun) | Arabic |
| akhirat | hereafter (Ar. akhiratun) | Arabic |
| anda | you (formal) (Ar. anta) | Arabic |
| awal | beginning (Ar. awwalun) | Arabic |
| badan | body | Arabic |
| berkah, barokah | bless, barakah (Ar. barkatun) | Arabic |
| daftar | list (Ar. daftarun) | Arabic |
| dunia | world (Ar. dun-yaa`) | Arabic |
| kitab | book (Ar. kitabun) | Arabic |
| kursi | chair (Ar. kursiyyun) | Arabic |
| halal | lawful | Arabic |
| haram | unlawful | Arabic |
| lisan | mouthly, mouth (Ar. litsanun) | Arabic |
| maaf | sorry, to apologise | Arabic |
| maksud | meaning, purpose | Arabic |
| majelis | assembly, majlis (Ar. majlis) | Arabic |
| masjid | mosque (Ar. masjid) | Arabic |
| mubazir | useless (Ar. mubazir) | Arabic |
| murtad | apostate (Ar. murtad) | Arabic |
| musim | season | Arabic |
| pikir | to think (Ar. fikr) | Arabic |
| sedekah | gift, shodaqoh (Ar. shadaqatun) | Arabic |
| senin | monday (Ar. Itsnain) | Arabic |
| selasa | tuesday (Ar. Tsalasa) | Arabic |
| rabu | wednesday (Ar. Arba'a) | Arabic |
| kamis | thursday (Ar. khams) | Arabic |
| jumat | friday (Ar. jum'ah) | Arabic |
| sabtu | saturday (Ar. sabtu) | Arabic |
| siasat | trick | Arabic |
| surat | letter | Arabic |
| waktu | time (Ar. waqtun) | Arabic |
| wilayah | region, area | Arabic |
| zakat | alms (Ar. zakkatun) | Arabic |
| zaman / jaman | era | Arabic |
| administrasi | administration (Dutch administratie) | Dutch |
| arde | ground (Dutch = aarde = earth) | Dutch |
| arbei | strawberry (Dutch =aardbei) | Dutch |
| ban | tire (Dutch = band) | Dutch |
| baskom, waskom | washbasin (Dutch = waskom) | Dutch |
| bengkel | workplace (Dutch = winkel: store, originally angle) | Dutch |
| besuk | visiting (Dutch = bezoeken) | Dutch |
| bioskop | cinema (Dutch = bioscoop) | Dutch |
| buncis | green beans (Dutch = boontjes) | Dutch |
| bruder | Roman Catholic friar (Dutch broeder = brother) | Dutch |
| buku | book (Dutch = boek) | Dutch |
| dak | roof (Dutch = dak) | Dutch |
| dasi | necktie (Dutch = das(je)) | Dutch |
| ember | bucket (Dutch = emmer) | Dutch |
| engsel | hinges (Dutch = hengsel) | Dutch |
| handuk | towel (Dutch = handdoek) | Dutch |
| hanger | hanger | Dutch |
| kabel | cable (Dutch = Kabel) | Dutch |
| kakus | toilet (Dutch verb kakken/noun kakhuis) | Dutch/Portuguese |
| kamar | room (Dutch = kamer) | Dutch |
| kantor | office (Dutch = kantoor) | Dutch |
| karcis | ticket (Dutch = kaartjes: plural for diminutive of kaart, card or ticket) | Dutch |
| kartu | card (Dutch=kaart) | Dutch |
| kelar | ready, finished (Dutch = klaar) | Dutch |
| knalpot (or kenalpot) | exhaust (on a car) | Dutch |
| kosen | window frame (Dutch = kozijn) | Dutch |
| kulkas | refrigator {Dutch = koelkast) | Dutch |
| laci | deskdrawer (Dutch = laatje: diminutive form of la(de)) | Dutch |
| lampu | lamp | Dutch |
| oom / om | uncle (Dutch = oom) | Dutch |
| migrasi | migration (Dutch = migratie) | Dutch |
| mur/baut | nut/bolt (Dutch = moer/bout) | Dutch |
| pabrik | factory (Dutch = fabriek) | Dutch |
| pensil | pencil (Dutch penseel (brush)) | Dutch |
| plafon | ceiling (Dutch = plafond, from French) | Dutch |
| potlot | pencil (Dutch = potlood) | Dutch |
| rekening | account (Dutch = rekening) | Dutch |
| resleting | zipper (Dutch = ritssluiting) | Dutch |
| ribewis | driving licence (Dutch = rijbewijs) | Dutch |
| sekrup | screw (Dutch = schroef) | Dutch |
| sepeda | bicycle (most probably from French velocipede) | Dutch |
| sirkulasi | circulation (Dutch circulatie) | Dutch |
| slang | water hose | Dutch |
| tante | aunt (Dutch = tante, from French) | Dutch |
| tas | bag | Dutch |
| tegel | floor tile | Dutch |
| telat | (too) late (Dutch = te laat) | Dutch |
| wastafel | sink | Dutch |
| wortel | carrot | Dutch |
| zuster, suster | nun, nurse, sister | Dutch |
| mantel | coat | Dutch |
| amoi | Chinese girl (from Port of Amoy, China) | Chinese |
| angpao | gift money for Chinese New Year | Chinese |
| bakmie | meat noodle | Chinese |
| bakso | meatball | Chinese |
| dacin | balance scale | Chinese |
| duit | money (Chinese = lui) | Chinese |
| gua | me (slang) | Chinese |
| hoki | luck, lucky | Chinese |
| kecap | soybean sauce, (ketchup is 'saus tomat', it is not the kecap of soybean) | Chinese |
| loteng | 2nd storey of a house | Chinese |
| mak comblang | match maker | Chinese |
| mecin | MSG (flavouring for cooking) | Chinese |
| mesiu | gunpowder (not clear whether of Chinese descent or not) | Chinese |
| pasar | market | Chinese |
| singkek | Chinese newcomer (derogative), pure blooded Chinese, i.e. not of mixed ancestry | Chinese |
| tahu | tofu | Chinese |
| teh | tea | Chinese |
| tionghoa | Chinese | Chinese |
| tiongkok | China | Chinese |
| justru | (just) true | English |
| gosip | gossip | English |
| target | target | English |
| kado | gift (Fr. cadeau, Dutch kado/cadeau) | French |
| kudeta | coup d'état | French |
| supir | driver (Fr. chauffeur) | French |
| aku | I, me | Javanese |
| armada | fleet (Port. armada) | Portuguese |
| belanda | Dutch, Holland, any westerner (Port. Holanda) | Portuguese |
| beranda | verandah (Port. varanda) | Portuguese |
| biola | violin (Port. viola) | Portuguese |
| boneka | doll (Port. boneca) | Portuguese |
| frambus | raspberry (Dutch Framboos, Port. framboesa) | Portuguese/Dutch |
| gardu | to guard, watch post (Dutch Garde, Port. guarda) | Portuguese/Dutch |
| gereja | church (Port. igreja) | Portuguese |
| gratis | free (not having to pay) | Portuguese/Dutch |
| gubernur | governor (Dutch Gouverneur, Port. governador) | Portuguese/Dutch |
| jendela | window (Port. janela) | Portuguese |
| keju | cheese (Port. queijo) | Portuguese |
| kemeja | shirt (Port. camisa) | Portuguese |
| kereta | chariot/car (Port. carreta) | Portuguese |
| lemari | closet (Port. armário) | Portuguese |
| meja | table (Port. mesa) | Portuguese |
| mentega | butter (Port. manteiga) | Portuguese |
| minggu | Sunday (Port. domingo) | Portuguese |
| sepatu | shoe (Port. sapato) | Portuguese |
| serdadu | army (Port. soldado) | Portuguese |
| solusi | solution (Dutch solutie) | Dutch |
| tempo | time (Port. tempo) | Portuguese |
| terigu | flour (Port. trigo) | Portuguese |
| topik | topic (Port. tópico) | Portuguese/Dutch |
| anjangsana | high official visiting | Sundanese |
| anjungan | pavilion | Minangkabau (W. Sumatra) |
| nan | which, who (connecting word) | Minangkabau |
| anda | you (respectful) | Nias (island W. of Sumatra) |
| so pasti | surely | Manado Malay |
| pahlawan | hero | Persian |
| piyama | pajamas | Persian |
| toko | shop | Japanese |
