hukum adat

Indonesian

Etymology

Compound of hukum (“law”) +‎ adat (“custom”), calque of Dutch gewoonterecht (“customary law”) and Dutch adatrecht (literally “adat law”). The term adatrecht was systematically used for the first time by Christiaan Hurgronje, Dutch colonial advisor on Islamic policy, and subsequently by Van Vollenhoven, Dutch legal scholar.

Noun

hukum adat

1. (law) customary law: a set of customs, practices and beliefs that are accepted as obligatory rules of conduct by indigenous peoples and local communities.

Further reading

• “hukum adat” 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.