jawatan

Indonesian

Etymology

Affixed jawat +‎ -an, from Malay jawatan (“position”). Doublet of jabatan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [d͡ʒaˈwatan]
• Hyphenation: ja‧wat‧an

Noun

jawatan (plural jawatan-jawatan)

1. (obsolete) service, office

   Synonym: dinas

   Perusahaan Jawatan Kereta Api ― Train Service Company

   Jawatan Kepolisian Negara ― National Police Service

2. (obsolete) badge, epaulette

   Synonym: tanda pangkat

Usage notes

The word is part of false friends between Standard Malay and Indonesian due to shared etymology. The Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore usage can be seen in Malay jawatan.

Alternative forms

• djawatan (1901–1947, 1947–1972) (superseded)

Further reading

• “jawatan” 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.

Malay

Etymology

jawat +‎ -an.

Noun

jawatan (Jawi spelling جاوتن, plural jawatan-jawatan, informal 1st possessive jawatanku, 2nd possessive jawatanmu, 3rd possessive jawatannya)

1. position, post, job

   jawatan kosong ― job vacancy

Usage notes

The word is part of false friends between Standard Malay and Indonesian due to shared etymology. The Indonesian usage can be seen in Indonesian jawatan.

Further reading

• “jawatan” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.