List of loan words in Indonesian

Source Wikipedia online

Indonesia 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.

Indonesian differs from the

Malay language in a number of respects, particularly the influence it had from Dutch.

List of loanwordsAlmost 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)

awak

you

Riau

abang

older brother

Sumatran Malay

so pasti

surely

Manado Malay

pahlawan

hero

Persian

piyama

pajamas

Persian

sabar

patience (Arabic "sabr")

Arabic

toko

shop

Japanese

muflis

bankrupt

Arabic