tulang rawan

Indonesian

Etymology

Compound of tulang (“bone”) +‎ rawan (“fragile; young, smooth”). Compare to Chinese 軟骨／软骨 (ruǎngǔ, “cartilage”, literally “soft; weak + bone”) and Dutch kraakbeen (literally “crack bone”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈtulaŋ ˈrawan]

Noun

tulang rawan (first-person possessive tulang rawanku, second-person possessive tulang rawanmu, third-person possessive tulang rawannya)

1. (anatomy) cartilage: A usually translucent and somewhat elastic, dense, nonvascular connective tissue found in various forms in the larynx and respiratory tract, in structures such as the external ear, and in the articulating surfaces of joints. It composes most of the skeleton of vertebrate embryos, being replaced by bone during ossification in the higher vertebrates.

   Synonyms: kartilago, tulang muda

2. (anatomy, rare) sternum, breastbone

   Synonym: tulang dada

Further reading

• “tulang rawan” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.