tembikai

Indonesian

Etymology

From Malay tembikai, metathesis of mendikai, borrowed from Tamil கொம்மட்டிக்காய் (kommaṭṭikkāy), related to கொம்மட்டி (kommaṭṭi). Mostly replaced by semangka.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [təmˈbikai̯]
• Hyphenation: têm‧bi‧kai

Noun

têmbikai (first-person possessive tembikaiku, second-person possessive tembikaimu, third-person possessive tembikainya)

1. (rare) watermelon

   Synonym: semangka

Synonyms

• semangka
• mendikai

Further reading

• “tembikai” 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

Metathesis of mendikai, borrowed from Tamil கொம்மட்டிக்காய் (kommaṭṭikkāy), related to கொம்மட்டி (kommaṭṭi).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /təmbikai̯/
• Rhymes: -ai̯
• Hyphenation: tem‧bi‧kai

Noun

tembikai (Jawi spelling تمبيکاي, plural tembikai-tembikai, informal 1st possessive tembikaiku, 2nd possessive tembikaimu, 3rd possessive tembikainya)

1. watermelon (fruit)

Synonyms

• semangka (Johore and Singapore)
• mendikai (predominant in Sumatra)
• timun Cina (Kelantan)

Descendants

• Indonesian: têmbikai

Further reading

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