nilam

Indonesian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈnilam]
• Hyphenation: ni‧lam

Etymology 1

From Malay nilam, from Tamil நீலம் (nīlam, “blue, sapphire”), from Sanskrit नील (nīla, “dark color”).

Noun

nilam (plural nilam-nilam)

1. sapphire

   Synonyms: nila, safir

Etymology 2

Probably related to previous etymology.(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.).

Noun

nilam (plural nilam-nilam)

1. sooty-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus aurigaster)

   Synonym: ketilang

Etymology 3

Probably related to previous etymology.(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.).

Noun

nilam (plural nilam-nilam)

1. patchouli (Pogostemon cablin)

Further reading

• “nilam”, 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 Tamil நீலம் (nīlam, “blue, sapphire”) from Sanskrit नील (nīla, “dark color”). Doublet of nila. Sense of plant and bird probably related to the first one.

Noun

nilam (Jawi spelling نيلم, plural nilam-nilam or nilam²)

1. sapphire

   Synonyms: nila, selan

2. patchouli (Pogostemon cablin).
3. sooty-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus aurigaster).

   Synonym: ketilang

References

• Hoogervorst, Tom (2015). "Detecting pre-modern lexical influence from South India in Maritime Southeast Asia". Archipel. 89: 74.
• Kosakata Bahasa Sanskerta dalam Bahasa Melayu Masa Kini, Jakarta, Indonesia: Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa. Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia, 1994, →ISBN, page 127
• Pijnappel, Jan (1875), “نيلم nilam”, in Maleisch-Hollandsch woordenboek, John Enschede en Zonen, Frederik Muller, page 141
• Wilkinson, Richard James (1901), “نيلم nilam”, in A Malay-English dictionary, Hong Kong: Kelly & Walsh limited, page 676
• Wilkinson, Richard James (1932), “nilam”, in A Malay-English dictionary (romanised), volume II, Mytilene, Greece: Salavopoulos & Kinderlis, page 173

Further reading

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