kakak

See also: kakák

Indonesian

Pronunciation

  • (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /ˈkakaʔ/ [ˈka.kaʔ]
  • Rhymes: -akaʔ
  • Syllabification: 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 kakak-kakak)

  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 general form of address, typically to an older person (but applicable to same age groups)
  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 to give an impression of a 'youthful nuance' (i.e., by denoting someone as such).
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
  • berkakak
  • berkakakan
  • mengakak
  • terkakak-kakak

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

  • IPA(key): /kakaʔ/
  • Rhymes: -akaʔ, -kaʔ, -aʔ
  • Audio (Malaysia):(file)

Noun

kakak (Jawi spelling کاکق, plural kakak-kakak)

  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)

  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

Pazeh

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Austronesian *kakak.

Noun

kakak

  1. crow

References

Tagalog

Alternative forms

Etymology

Onomatopoeic. Compare Indonesian kakak.

Pronunciation

  • (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /ˈkakak/ [ˈkaː.xɐk̚]
  • Rhymes: -akak
  • Syllabification: ka‧kak

Noun

kakak (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜃᜃ᜔)

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

Derived terms

  • ipangakak
  • kumakak
  • mangakak

See also

Further reading

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