Beroentoeng

The word beroentoeng represents the standard orthographic form under the “Van Ophuijsen Spelling System” (1901–1947), designed by Dutch linguist Charles Adriaan van Ophuijsen to standardize written Malay. In this system, the /u/ sound was rendered as 'oe', transforming beruntung into beroentoeng. The root oentoeng is borrowed from Javanese untung, meaning “good luck” or “favorable outcome”. Following Indonesian independence, the Soewandi Spelling Reform (1947) replaced 'oe' with 'u', standardizing the form to beruntung. During the early 20th century, this word frequently appeared in Malay-language newspapers and colonial-era literature, often in contexts contrasting the fates of different individuals, reflecting acute social awareness of inequality under colonial rule.