tauke

Indonesian

Etymology

From Malay tauke, from Hokkien 頭家／头家 (thâu-ke, “boss”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈtau̯ke]
• Hyphenation: tau‧ké

Noun

tauke (plural tauke-tauke)

1. towkay:
   1. business owner

      Synonym: majikan

   2. (colloquial) boss

      Synonyms: mandor, bos

Alternative forms

• taoke
• toke

Further reading

• “tauke” 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

Borrowed from Hokkien 頭家／头家 (thâu-ke, “boss”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /taˈuke/ [t̪aˈu.ke]

Noun

tauke (Jawi spelling تاوکي, plural tauke-tauke)

1. towkay; shopkeeper; shop owner; business owner

Descendants

• > Indonesian: tauke (inherited)
• → English: towkay
• → Tausug: tawki

Further reading

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