mata air

Indonesian

Etymology

Compound of mata +‎ air, from Malay mata air, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *mata nu wahiR (“spring of water, source of a river”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmata ˈʔaɪr]

Noun

mata air (uncountable)

1. spring: a spray or body of water springing from the ground.

   Synonym: sumber air

Derived terms

• mata air berjeda
• mata air mineral
• mata air mineral panas
• mata air panas
• mata air rekahan
• mata air rembesan
• mata air retakan
• mata air sesar

 

Further reading

• “mata air” 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

Compound of mata (“eye”) +‎ air (“water”). From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *mata nu wahiR (“spring of water, source of a river”). Cognate to Minangkabau mato aia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mata air/
• (Johor-Riau) IPA^(key): [mä.tə ä.ʲɪ(r), -ʲe(r), -ʲe̞(r)]

Noun

mata air (Jawi spelling مات اءير, informal 1st possessive mata airku, 2nd possessive mata airmu, 3rd possessive mata airnya)

1. spring (spot where water wells up from underground)

   Sumber utama air di kawasan ini ialah mata air.

   The main source of water around here is a spring.

2. (Idiom) partner; boyfriend; girlfriend; spouse; lover

   Synonyms: sayang, kekasih, awek

   Kamulah mata airku.

   You are the one.

Descendants

• Indonesian: mata air

Further reading

• “mata air” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.
• Austronesian Comparative Dictionary