limau

Banjarese

Etymology

From Proto-Malayic *limaw, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *limaw.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈlimau̯]
• Hyphenation: li‧mau

Noun

limau

1. citrus
2. citrus fruit

Compounds

• limau Bali (“Balinese citrus (Citrus maxima)”)
• limau Betawi (“Betawi citrus (Citrus grandis)”)
• limau Cina (“Chinese citrus (Citrus nobilis)”)
• limau kuit
• limau madang

Brunei Malay

Etymology

From Proto-Malayic *limaw, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *limaw.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /limaw/
• Hyphenation: li‧mau

Noun

limau

1. orange (fruit)
2. citrus fruit

Hyponyms

• (citrus fruit): limau bali (“pomelo”), limau kasturi (“calamondin”), limau nipis (“key lime”), limau purut (“kaffir lime”)

Indonesian

Etymology

From Malay limau, from Proto-Malayic *limaw, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *limaw.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈlimau̯]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: li‧mau

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

limau (plural limau-limau)

1. citrus

   Synonym: jeruk

2. citrus fruit

Affixed terms

• berlimau
• melimaui
• pelimau

Compounds

• limau bali (“Balinese citrus (Citrus maxima)”)
• limau besar
• limau betawi (“Betawi citrus (Citrus grandis)”)
• limau cina (“Chinese citrus (Citrus nobilis)”)
• limau hantu
• limau kapas
• limau kesturi
• limau kiah
• limau kuit
• limau kursi
• limau langir
• limau manis
• limau nipis
• limau purut
• limau sundai

Further reading

• “limau” 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

Etymology

From Proto-Malayic *limaw, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *limaw; reconstructed by Robert Blust (compare Old Javanese limo (“a citrus fruit, the lime”); also compare Fijian moli (“an orange, general name for species of citrus fruits”), Tongan moli (“orange or other citrus fruit”) that are assumed to have undergone metathesis).

The claim that this form is derived from Portuguese limão is false based on the cognates found in Old Javanese and Oceanic languages.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Malaysia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -au̯

Noun

limau (Jawi spelling ليماو, plural limau-limau)

1. any member of the genus Citrus, especially its fruit

   Synonym: jeruk

2. lemon

   Synonym: lemon

Descendants

• Indonesian: limau

Further reading

• Pijnappel, Jan (1875) “ليمو limau”, in Maleisch-Hollandsch woordenboek, John Enschede en Zonen, Frederik Muller, page 125
• Wilkinson, Richard James (1901) “ليمو limau”, in A Malay-English dictionary, Hong Kong: Kelly & Walsh limited, pages 629-30
• Wilkinson, Richard James (1932) “limau”, in A Malay-English dictionary (romanised), volume II, Mytilene, Greece: Salavopoulos & Kinderlis, pages 58-9
• “limau” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.

Swahili

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese limão.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Noun

limau class V (plural malimau class VI)

1. lemon (citrus fruit)

Synonyms

• ndimu

Derived terms

• mlimau