belak
Indonesian
Etymology 1
Unknown, probably borrowed from Dutch blaak, blaken (“to scorch, to blaze”), from Middle Dutch blāken, from Old Dutch *blakon, from Proto-West Germanic *blakōn, from Proto-Germanic *blakōną, related to *blaikaz (“white, pale”). (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
- (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /bəˈlak/ [bəˈlak̚]
- Rhymes: -ak
- Syllabification: be‧lak
Noun
belak (plural belak-belak)
- white spot
- white spots on the skin (due to a disease)
- black spots on wood (due to the shape of the wood grain)
Derived terms
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Tetum [Term?].
Pronunciation
- (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /ˈbelak/ [ˈbe.lak̚]
- Rhymes: -elak
- Syllabification: be‧lak
Noun
belak (plural belak-belak)
- chest jewelry for men in the form of a sun symbol
Etymology 3
Unknown
Pronunciation
- (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /ˈbelak/ [ˈbe.lak̚]
- Rhymes: -elak
- Syllabification: be‧lak
Verb
belak
- (Elnama) to pick the fruit using a short piece of wood
Further reading
- “belak” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.