Berlariken
Definition & Context
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
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.
kabur
An informal and concise equivalent of `melarikan diri`, commonly used in everyday spoken Indonesian.
melarikan
To take someone or something away secretly, hastily, or by force, often without the knowledge or permission of the party concerned.
minggat
This word carries a stronger emotional nuance, often implying a departure that disappoints family or close ones.
ngacir
A more modern urban slang variant with a humorous nuance, common in informal conversations in Jakarta and major cities.
melarikan diri
The closest modern standard equivalent to `berlariken`, used in contemporary formal Indonesian.
lari
The more general base form, lacking the reflexive nuance of `berlariken`. Used in broader contexts.
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
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
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