lencang

Indonesian

Etymology

From Minangkabau [Term?]. Semantic loan from Japanese ならえ (narae) for military sense.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lənˈt͡ʃaŋ/
• Hyphenation: lên‧cang
• Rhymes: -t͡ʃaŋ, -aŋ, -ŋ

Adjective

lêncang

1. straight and proper distance.

   Synonym: lurus

Alternative forms

• lêncêng

Verb

lêncang

1. (military) to dress: to arrange (soldiers or troops) into proper formation; especially, to adjust (soldiers or troops) into straight lines and at a proper distance from each other; to align.

Usage notes

The term is the translation of Japanese ならえ (narae). The verb is used as instruction such as lencang kanan (“right dress”) (compare Malay pergerakan kekanan lurus, Japanese 右(みぎ)へならえ (migihenarae)) and will be executed with interjection gerak. The instruction for at close interval is done by adding setengah (“half”) before lencang (compare Japanese 半(なか)ば (nakaba) instead).

Derived terms

• melencangkan

 

• lencang depan
• lencang kanan

 

Further reading

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