Djilaka
Definition & Context
Noun
A word that functions as the name of a specific object or set of objects, such as living creatures, places, actions, qualities, states of existence, or ideas.
A state of misfortune or bad luck befalling a person; an expression of calamity or ill fate used in colonial-era Malay-Indonesian, representing an archaic spelling variant of the word “celaka”.
Synonyms & Variants
celaka
An unfortunate or unlucky condition befalling someone; an expression of accident or bad luck.
cilaka
Non-standard spelling variant of 'celaka', often used in informal conversation or non-standard writing.
djilaka
Old spelling of the word 'celaka' used during the colonial era, before Indonesian spelling reforms.
malang
A synonym referring to the condition of bad luck or misfortune.
sial
A more commonly used word in casual contexts to describe bad luck.
Usage Notes or Etymology
Djilaka is a Van Ophuijsen orthographic variant of the word celaka, rooted in classical Malay. Under the Van Ophuijsen spelling system (1901), the /c/ phoneme was typically rendered as tj, yet this form emerged through coastal Malay dialectal influence that softened the initial consonant cluster. The word appears frequently in colonial-era Malay-language newspapers of the Dutch East Indies, such as Bintang Timoer and Pewarta Deli, to denote misfortune, calamity, or ill fate. Its usage reflects the low-to-middle Malay register employed by educated indigenous communities from the late 19th to early 20th century.
Real-world Usage
Si Aman soedah terdapat djilaka besar dalam perdjandjian itoe. (Si Aman sudah mengalami celaka besar dalam perjanjian itu.)
English Translation
Representative of real-world usage and contextual accuracy.
Verified Evidence1
Boekoe Soerat-Soerat (TH. A. Du Mosch) Boekoe Soerat-Soerat (TH. A. Du Mosch)
ImageliteratureVerify Context
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