Oewang
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 valid medium of exchange or standard of value issued by a government. This is the archaic spelling of “uang”, widely used during the colonial period through the early independence era.
Synonyms & Variants
oeang
Spelling variation found in colonial documents.
duit
Derived from the Dutch word 'duit'.
artos
Used in the 'lemes' (polite) speech level.
picis
Often refers to small coins or change.
jatra
Rarely used in modern conversation.
kepeng
Popular term in historical Bali and Java.
Usage Notes or Etymology
This word utilizes the Van Ophuijsen spelling system, which was the official orthography in Indonesia until 1947. The letter combination oe represents the vowel sound u. In the Soewandi Spelling (1947), this word changed to uang as part of national orthographic simplification. Etymologically, the word is rooted in Malay and was influenced by historical trade terms across the archipelago.
Real-world Usage
Saja tidak mempunjai oewang sedikitpoen oentoek membeli rokok. (Saya tidak mempunyai uang sedikitpun untuk membeli rokok.)
English Translation
Representative of real-world usage and contextual accuracy.
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