air mata

Indonesian

Etymology

Inherited from Malay air mata, from Classical Malay اٴير مات (air mata), from Proto-Malayic *air mata, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ ni mata. By surface analysis, air (“water”) +‎ mata (“eye”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˌair ˈmata/ [ˌa.ɪr ˈma.t̪a]
• Rhymes: -ata
• Syllabification: air ma‧ta

Noun

air mata (uncountable)

1. tear (drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes)

Malay

Etymology

From Proto-Malayic *air mata, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ ni mata. By surface analysis, air (“water”) +‎ mata (“eye”).

Pronunciation

• (schwa-variety) IPA^(key): /ˌae(r) ˈmatə/ [ˌa.e(r) ˈma.t̪ə]
  • Rhymes: -atə

• (Baku) IPA^(key): /ˌair ˈmata/ [ˌa.ir ˈma.t̪a]
  • Rhymes: -ata

Noun

air mata (Jawi spelling اٴير مات, uncountable)

1. tear (drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes)

Descendants

• Indonesian: air mata
• North Moluccan Malay: aer mata

Further reading

• “air mata”, in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu [Malay Literary Reference Centre] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017