orang tua

Indonesian

Etymology

Compound of orang (“people”) +‎ tua (“old”), literally “old people”.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˌoraŋ ˈtua/ [ˌo.raŋ ˈt̪u.a]
• Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: o‧rang tu‧a

Noun

orang tua (plural orang-orang tua)

1. (literally) old person

   Synonym: orang berumur

2. parents: father and mother

   Synonyms: bonyok, ibu bapak, ortu

3. elder, an older person or an older member, usually a leader, of some community

   Synonyms: orang tua-tua (Malay), tetua

Alternative forms

• ortu (syllabic abbreviation)

Derived terms

• orang tua angkat
• orang tua asuh

Further reading

• “orang tua”, 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

Compound of orang (“people”) +‎ tua (“old”), literally “old people”.

Pronunciation

• (Southern Peninsular Malaysia Standard) IPA^(key): /ˌoraŋ ˈtuə/ [ˌʔo.raŋ ˈt̪wə]
  • Rhymes: -ə

• (Literary Standard) IPA^(key): /ˌoraŋ ˈtua/ [ˌʔo.raŋ ˈt̪wa]
  • Rhymes: -a
• Hyphenation: o‧rang tua

Noun

orang tua (plural orang-orang tua or orang² tua)

1. (literally) old person
2. parents: father and mother

   Synonyms: ibu bapa, emak ayah

Further reading

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