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  1. Topics
  2. Old Indonesian / Malay
  3. Berlariken

Berlariken

/id/Source Language: The language or dialect this term originates from (ID).
Indonesian•1 meaning found
1
Verified
A person on the ibahasa team has reviewed and approved this definition. Entries still awaiting review are marked as such, and their meanings are withheld.
neutralTone: neutral. Indicates the emotional nuance or social context of the word.Old Indonesian / MalayTopic: Old Indonesian / Malay. The category or sphere of life where this word is used.nationalRegion: national. Specifies the geographical origin or local dialect area.
Verified
A person on the ibahasa team has reviewed and approved this definition. Entries still awaiting review are marked as such, and their meanings are withheld.

Definition & Context

Verb

Verb

A word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence.

An archaic verbal form equivalent to melarikan, meaning to take oneself away secretly or hastily from a place without notice, often due to fear, shame, or to avoid consequences. Written in the “Van Ophuijsen orthography” used before 1947.

Synonyms & Variants

berlariken

berlariken

Archaic form of the verb 'melarikan', meaning to take oneself away secretly or hastily from a place without notice, often due to fear, shame, or to avoid certain consequences. This word was written in the 'Van Ophuijsen Spelling' which was valid before 1947.

Archaic
kabur

kabur

An informal and concise equivalent of `melarikan diri`, commonly used in everyday spoken Indonesian.

synonym
melarikan

melarikan

To take someone or something away secretly, hastily, or by force, often without the knowledge or permission of the party concerned.

Synonym
minggat

minggat

This word carries a stronger emotional nuance, often implying a departure that disappoints family or close ones.

synonym
ngacir

ngacir

A more modern urban slang variant with a humorous nuance, common in informal conversations in Jakarta and major cities.

synonym
melarikan diri

melarikan diri

The closest modern standard equivalent to `berlariken`, used in contemporary formal Indonesian.

synonym
lari

lari

The more general base form, lacking the reflexive nuance of `berlariken`. Used in broader contexts.

synonym

Usage Notes or Etymology

The word berlariken is the Van Ophuijsen orthographic form of the modern Indonesian verb melarikan diri. The Van Ophuijsen spelling system, standardized in 1901 during the Dutch colonial period, governed the written form of Malay, rendering the vowel u as oe and employing certain archaic morphological suffixes. This word is formed from the prefix ber- attached to the root lari (to run), with the archaic suffix -ken functioning as a variant of the modern -kan, producing a reflexive meaning of taking oneself away hastily. Under the Soewandi orthography introduced in 1947, the word transitioned to berlarikan, with oe replaced by u. The word was widely used in pre-independence Malay-language newspapers, novels, and official documents. Today, it survives only in historical texts and classical literature as a marker of “tempo doeloe” language.

Real-world Usage

Soedah tentoe bapa maoe dapat taoe, kamana anaknja berlariken dirinja, sebab soedah doca malam tida poelang-poelang. (Sudah tentu bapak ingin tahu, ke mana anaknya melarikan diri, sebab sudah beberapa malam tidak pulang-pulang.)

English Translation
Of course, the father wants to know where his child ran off to, because they haven't come home for several nights now.

Representative of real-world usage and contextual accuracy.

Verified Evidence1

  • Boekoe Soerat-Soerat (TH. A. Du Mosch) - Halaman 203/204
    Boekoe Soerat-Soerat (TH. A. Du Mosch) - Halaman 203/204

    Boekoe Soerat-Soerat (TH. A. Du Mosch) - Halaman 203/204

    Imageliterature
    Verify Context
Reviewed 6 months ago
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