kecil

Indonesian

Alternative forms

• ketjil (1947–1972)
• kecik (dialectal)

Etymology

Inherited from Malay kecil, from Classical Malay kecil, from Proto-Malayic *kəcil. Doublet of kucil.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /kəˈt͡ʃil/ [kəˈt͡ʃɪl]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -il
• Syllabification: ke‧cil

Adjective

kêcil (comparative lebih kecil, superlative paling kecil)

1. little
   1. small in size

      Antonym: besar

   2. insignificant, trivial

      Antonyms: besar, penting

2. small
3. (figurative) young

   Synonym: muda

Derived terms

• mengecil - to get smaller
• kekecilan - too small

• berkecil-kecil
• berkecil-kecilan
• kecil-kecilan
• kecil-mengecil
• kecil-mengecilkan
• kecilan
• kekecilan
• memperkecil
• mengecil
• mengecilkan
• pemerkecil
• pengecil
• pengecilan
• sekecil
• terkecil

• kecil hati

Further reading

• “kecil” 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.

Malay

Alternative forms

• kecik (Sambas, Pontianak, archaic)
• kacik (archaic)
• kache (archaic, in some place names)

Etymology

Doublet of kucil.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kət͡ʃil/
• Rhymes: -ət͡ʃil, -t͡ʃil, -il

• Audio (Malaysia):

  (file)

• (Johor-Riau) IPA^(key): [kət͡ʃɪl, -t͡ʃel, -t͡ʃe̞l]

Adjective

kecil (Jawi spelling کچيل)

1. small, little.

   Antonyms: besar, gedang, raya

   Bola kecil

   Small ball

Derived terms

Affixed terms and other derivations

Regular affixed derivations:

• pengecil [agentive / qualitative / instrumental / abstract / measure] (peN-)
• pengecilan [agentive / qualitative / instrumental / abstract / measure + resultative / locative / collective / variety / verbal noun / fruit] (peN- + -an)
• kekecilan [abstract / locative] (ke-an)
• sekecil [comparability] (se-)
• mengecilkan [agent focus + causative benefactive] (meN- + -kan)
• dikecilkan [patient focus + causative benefactive] (di- + -kan)
• terkecil [agentless action] (teR-)
• memperkecil [causative agent focus] (mempeR-)
• diperkecil [causative passive focus] (dipeR-)

Further reading

• “kecil” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.