bunuh

Indonesian

Alternative forms

• boenoeh (1901–1947)
• bvnvh (filter-avoidance spelling)

Etymology

Inherited from Malay bunuh, from Proto-Malayic *bunuh, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bunuq, from Proto-Austronesian *buNuq.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈbunuh/ [ˈbu.nʊh]
• Rhymes: -unuh
• Syllabification: bu‧nuh

Verb

bunuh (active membunuh, passive dibunuh)

1. (transitive) to kill

   Synonym: (uncommon) matikan

Conjugation

Conjugation of bunuh (meng-, transitive)

root	bunuh
	active	passive		basic imperative	emphatic jussive
		reflective1	ordinary
	ordinary
nominative	membunuh	terbunuh	dibunuh	bunuh	bunuhlah
accusative / dative / locative	membunuhi	–	dibunuhi	bunuhi	bunuhilah
perfective causative / applicative2	membunuhkan	–	dibunuhkan	bunuhkan	bunuhkanlah
	causative
nominative	–	–	–	–	–
accusative / dative / locative	–	–	–	–	–
perfective causative / applicative2	–	–	–	–	–

¹ There is another form of reflective passive verb with affixation of ke- -an which is not included in the table. This form is only attested in active voice without causative affixation of per-.
² The -kan row is either causative or applicative. With transitive roots it mostly has applicative meaning.
Some of these forms do not normally exist or are rarely used in standard Indonesian. Some forms may also change meaning.

Derived terms

Affixed terms

• berbunuh-bunuhan
• bersibunuh
• bunuh-bunuhan
• bunuh-membunuh
• pembunuh
• pembunuhan

Compound terms

• bunuh diri

Further reading

• “bunuh”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Malay

Etymology

From Proto-Malayic *bunuh, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bunuq, from Proto-Austronesian *buNuq.

First attested in the Telaga Batu inscription, 683 AD, as Old Malay वुनुः (vunuḥ), in inflected form nivunuh (current spelling dibunuh).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bunuh/
• (schwa-variety) IPA^(key): [ˈbunʊh], [ˈbunoh]
• Rhymes: -unoh, -noh, -oh
• Rhymes: -uh

Verb

bunuh (Jawi spelling بونوه)

1. to kill (put to death)

Derived terms

Affixed terms and other derivations

Regular affixed derivations:

• pembunuh [agentive / qualitative / instrumental / abstract / measure] (peN-)
• pembunuhan [agentive / qualitative / instrumental / abstract / measure + resultative / locative / collective / variety / verbal noun / fruit] (peN- + -an)
• bunuhan [resultative / locative / collective / variety / verbal noun / fruit] (-an)
• membunuh [agent focus] (meN-)
• dibunuh [patient focus] (di-)
• terbunuh [agentless action] (teR-)
• berbunuhan [stative / habitual + resultative / locative / collective / variety / verbal noun / fruit] (beR- + -an)
• berbunuh-bunuhan [reduplication + stative / habitual + resultative / locative / collective / variety / verbal noun / fruit] (redup + beR- + -an)

Irregular affixed derivations, other derivations and compound words:

• bersibunuhan
• bunuh diri (“suicide”)
• bunuh-membunuh

Descendants

• > Indonesian: bunuh (inherited)
• > Peranakan Indonesian: boenoe (inherited)

Further reading

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