Hoeroef
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.
Archaic spelling of 'huruf'; a written symbol or character representing a linguistic sound, used as the fundamental unit of written script.
Synonyms & Variants
abjad
Refers to the collection of letters in a fixed order.
aksara
A synonym often used in academic or literary contexts to refer to writing systems.
ejaan lama
An old spelling convention, referring to the orthographic rules used in the past, before spelling reforms.
huruf
A written symbol or character that represents a speech sound and is used as a basic unit of writing.
karakter
A broader term encompassing letters, numbers, and symbols.
Usage Notes or Etymology
The word 'hoeroef' is the Van Ophuijsen spelling of the modern Indonesian 'huruf', derived from the Arabic 'حرف' (harf), meaning 'letter' or 'written character'. The Van Ophuijsen orthographic system was standardized in 1901 by Charles Adrian van Ophuijsen alongside Nawawi Soetan Makmur and Mohamad Taib Soetan Ibrahim, and was officially used in colonial Dutch East Indies publications, newspapers, and administrative documents until it was replaced by the Republican Spelling in 1947. Under this system, the phoneme /u/ was rendered as 'oe', transforming 'huruf' into 'hoeroef'. The word commonly appears in classical Malay literature, colonial-era Malay-language newspapers such as Bintang Timoer and Medan Prijaji, and official governmental correspondence of the period.
Real-world Usage
Hoeroef itoe ditoelis dengan terang, lebih lagi kalau toelis angka². (Huruf itu ditulis dengan jelas, apalagi kalau menulis angka-angka.)
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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