merdeka

See also: Merdeka

Indonesian

Etymology

From Malay merdeka, from Classical Malay مرديكا (mĕrdeka), from Sanskrit महर्द्धिक (maharddhika, “prosperous”). Cognate of Javanese ꦩꦂꦢꦶꦏ (mardika), Buginese ᨆᨑᨙᨉᨀ (maradeka), Tagalog maharlika. Doublet of mahardika.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /mərˈdeka/ [mərˈde.ka]
• Rhymes: -eka
• Syllabification: mer‧de‧ka

Adjective

mêrdéka

1. free from oppression (e.g. slavery)
2. (politics) free from colonialism, annexation, military occupation, etc.; liberated; independent

   Indonesia sudah dinyatakan merdeka sejak 17 Agustus 1945. ― Indonesia has been declared to be independent since 17 August 1945.

3. (rare) free from an obligation, especially a prison sentence
4. (rare) self-sufficient; independent; not dependent on others

Derived terms

• kemerdekaan
• memerdekakan
• pemerdeka
• pemerdekaan
• semerdeka-merdekanya

 

See also

• mandiri (“self-sufficient”)

Further reading

• “merdeka” 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

FWOTD – 31 August 2020

Alternative forms

• merdeheka

Etymology

Elision of merdeheka from Sanskrit महर्द्धिक (maharddhika, “prosperous”), first attested in the Kota Kapur inscription, 686 CE, as Old Malay [script needed] (maharddhika), Cognate of Buginese ᨆᨑᨙᨉᨀ, Tagalog maharlika.

Pronunciation

• (Baku) IPA^(key): [mə(r).de.ka]
  • Rhymes: -ka, -a
• (Johor-Riau) IPA^(key): [mə(r).de.kə]
  • Note: This "Johor-Riau" pronunciation does not occur in the modern Malaysian variety of Johor-Riau Malay anymore probably due to the influence of Tunku Abdul Rahman's historic "merdeka" chant with his Kedah Malay accent which did not go through the historical "final-[a] > [ə]" change that occurred in Johor-Riau Malay.
  • Rhymes: -kə, -ə
• Hyphenation: mer‧de‧ka

Adjective

merdeka (Jawi spelling مرديک)

1. Not imprisoned or enslaved; free.

   Synonym: bebas / بيبس

   Antonym: terkurung / ترکوروڠ

   • 2005, A. Samad Said, A. Samad Said: Sebuah antologi puisi yang menghimpunkan karya-karya selama setengah abad [A. Samad Said: An anthology of poems assembled from works spanning half a century], Utusan Publications, Langsir Merdeka (Poem No. 119), page 394:

     Setiap fajar begitu dihayati ufuk merdeka; kebahagiaan yang wajib kita membinanya.

     Every hue of dawn is much appreciated by the horizon of freedom; happiness that is compulsory for all of us to build.

2. Independent:
   1. (of a polity) Not ruled by others.
      • 1957 August 31, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Pemasyhuran Kemerdekaan Tanah Melayu [Malayan Declaration of Independence]:

        بهاواسڽ كران تله تيباله ماسڽ باڬي اومت ڤرسكوتوان تانه ملايو اين منچاڤأي تارف سواتو بڠسا يڠ مرديك لاڬي بردولت سام ستيمڤل كدودوكنڽ دڠن سڬالا بڠسا سلوروه دنيا

        (Bahawasanya kerana telah tibalah masanya bagi umat Persekutuan Tanah Melayu ini mencapai taraf suatu bangsa yang merdeka lagi berdaulat sama setimpal kedudukannya dengan segala bangsa seluruh dunia.)

        Whereas the time has now arrived when the people of the Persekutuan Tanah Melayu will assume the status of a free independent and sovereign nation among nations of the World.

      • 2018 February 16, Normazlina M.D, “Simbol negara merdeka [Symbol of an independent nation]”, in Media Permata‎^[1], archived from the original on 18 August 2019:

        Bendera negara bukan hanya sekadar sehelai kain yang mempunyai warna atau motif tertentu bahkan ia adalah simbol identiti sesebuah negara yang merdeka lagi berdaulat.

        The national flag is not just a piece of cloth that has a certain color or motif. In fact, it is a symbol of the identity of a nation that is independent and sovereign.

   2. Not dependent on other people; self-reliant.

Derived terms

Affixed terms and other derivations

Regular affixed derivations:

• kemerdekaan (“the state of independence; freedom”) [resemblance / passive] (ke-an)
• pemerdeka (“liberator”) [passive / name of profession] (pe-)
• pemerdekaan [passive / name of profession + resultative / locative / collective / variety / verbal noun / fruit] (pe- + -an)
• memerdekakan (“to grant independence”) [agent focus + causative benefactive] (meN- + -kan)

Irregular affixed derivations, other derivations and compound words:

• akhbar merdeka (“news that is not affiliated with any political party”)
• hari merdeka (“independence day”)
• merdeka ayam (“free to do anything as desired; absolute freedom”)

Descendants

• Indonesian: mêrdèka
• → English: Merdeka

Further reading

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

References

• Edi Sedyawati, Ellya Iswati, Kusparyati Boedhijono, Dyah Widjajanti D. (1994) Kosakata Bahasa Sanskerta dalam Bahasa Melayu Masa Kini, Jakarta, Indonesia: Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa. Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia, →ISBN, page 251
• Wilkinson, Richard James (1932) “mĕrdĕheka”, in A Malay-English dictionary (romanised), volume II, Mytilene, Greece: Salavopoulos & Kinderlis, page 134

Further reading

• “merdeka” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.
• "merdeka" in Kamus Dewan, Fourth Edition, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, →ISBN, 2005.