Tembung
/id/Source Language: The language or dialect this term originates from (ID).Indonesian•1 meaning found
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.
The smallest meaningful unit of language in the Javanese linguistic tradition; equivalent to the Indonesian “kata” (word). Refers to any spoken or written unit carrying independent meaning, used across both ngoko (informal) and krama (formal) Javanese registers.
entri leksikal
An entry in a lexicon or dictionary representing a single word or meaningful form; a technical equivalent used in lexicography and linguistics.
istilah
A word or phrase used specifically within a discipline, community, or practice; can function like a 'têmbung' when referring to a specialized meaningful unit.
kata
'Tembung' in Javanese has an equivalent meaning to 'kata' in standard Indonesian.
unit leksikal
A formal linguistic term referring to a meaningful unit (word or lexical entry) analyzed in language studies.
The term têmbung is a native Javanese lexical item with roots traceable to Classical and Middle Javanese literary traditions. Etymologically, têmbung is associated with the concept of a “meaningful utterance” or “significant sound unit” within Javanese oral tradition. It functions as the standard metalinguistic term for “word” across all Javanese speech levels, from ngoko to krama inggil. The term appears frequently in classical literary texts, sêrat manuscripts, and traditional Javanese grammar instruction in pesantren and culturally-grounded schools. Its persistent usage reflects the long-standing metalinguistic awareness within Javanese society, which historically developed sophisticated frameworks for describing its own language structure.
Têmbung 'trêsna' kuwi artine *cinta*, lho! (Kata 'trêsna' itu artinya cinta, lho!)
Representative of real-world usage and contextual accuracy.