kecemasan

Indonesian

Etymology

Affixed cemas +‎ ke- -an.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kət͡ʃəˈmasan/
• Rhymes: -an, -n
• Hyphenation: kê‧cê‧mas‧an

Noun

kêcêmasan (plural kecemasan-kecemasan)

1. anxiety:
   1. an unpleasant state of mental uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession or concern about some uncertain event
   2. (psychology, psychiatry) a state of restlessness and agitation, often accompanied by a distressing sense of oppression or tightness in the stomach

      Synonym: ansietas

      Synonym: keresahan (Standard Malay)

Adjective

kêcêmasan (comparative lebih kecemasan, superlative paling kecemasan)

1. excessively anxious

Usage notes

The word is part of false friends between Standard Malay and Indonesian due to shared etymology. The Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore usage can be seen in Malay kecemasan.

Further reading

• “kecemasan”, 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 cemas +‎ ke- -an.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kət͡ʃəˈmasan/ [kə.t͡ʃəˈma.san]
• Hyphenation: ke‧ce‧ma‧san

Noun

kecemasan (Jawi spelling کچمسن, plural kecemasan-kecemasan or kecemasan²)

1. emergency.

   Synonym: (political) darurat

2. (Indonesia) anxiety.

Usage notes

The word is part of false friends between Standard Malay and Indonesian due to shared etymology. The Indonesian usage can be seen in Indonesian kecemasan.

"Kecemasan" is more often used for more general emergencies, such as sickness or injuries.

Further reading

• "kecemasan" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017