encik

English

Etymology

From Malay encik, from Hokkien 引叔 (ín-chek, “uncle”).

Pronunciation

  • (Singapore) IPA(key): /ˈɪnt͡ʃek/, [ˈɪn˧.t͡ʃeʔ˦]

Noun

encik (plural enciks)

  1. (Singapore, informal, military) Informal term of address for a male warrant officer in the Singapore Armed Forces.
  • cik (female equivalent)

Indonesian

Pronunciation

  • (Standard Indonesian)
    • IPA(key): /ənˈt͡ʃik/ [əɲˈt͡ʃɪk̚] (term of address for respectable or unknown adult)
      • Rhymes: -ik
    • IPA(key): /ənˈt͡ʃiʔ/ [əɲˈt͡ʃɪʔ] (elder sister; term of address for female schoolteacher)
      • Rhymes: -iʔ
  • Syllabification: en‧cik

Etymology 1

From Malay encik, from Hokkien 引叔 (ín-chek, “uncle”). Cognate of Tagalog Intsik, Cebuano Insik. See also Thai เจ๊ก (jék), Singaporean English Ah Chek.

Noun

êncik (plural encik-encik)

  1. term of address conferred on a respectable or unknown adult, usually when the name is unknown

Etymology 2

From Malay encik, from Hokkien 阿姊 (a-chí, “elder sister”).

Noun

êncik (plural encik-encik)

  1. (West Sumatra) term of address conferred on a female schoolteacher
  2. elder sister
    Synonym: kakak

Derived terms

  • berencik

Further reading

Malay

Pronunciation

  • (Johor-Selangor, Riau-Lingga) IPA(key): /ˈənt͡ʃək/ [ˈəɲ.t͡ʃəʔ]
  • (Bahasa Baku) IPA(key): /ənˈt͡ʃik/ [əɲˈt͡ʃiʔ]
  • Rhymes: -ənt͡ʃəʔ, -t͡ʃəʔ, -iʔ

Etymology 1

Possibly from Hokkien 引叔 (ín-chek, “uncle”).

Noun

encik (Jawi spelling انچيق, plural encik-encik)

  1. term of address conferred on an adult male of moderate or unknown position, usually when the name is unknown; mister
  2. term of address used before a man's name, who do not have any titles such as Datuk, Tengku, etc.; Mister
  3. term of address for a male ethnic Chinese person
Synonyms
Descendants
  • Indonesian: encik, encek

Etymology 2

Possibly from Hokkien.

Noun

encik (Jawi spelling انچيق, plural encik-encik)

  1. term of address for a mother
Descendants

Further reading