semak

Iban

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /səmea̯ʔ/

Adjective

semak

1. near, close (at a little distance)

Preposition

semak

1. near

Antonyms

• jauh

Indonesian

Etymology 1

Inherited from Malay semak (“bush”), from metathesis of Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *samək (“dense undergrowth”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /səˈmaʔ/ [səˈmaʔ]
• Rhymes: -aʔ
• Syllabification: se‧mak

Noun

sêmak (plural semak-semak)

1. bush
2. scrub
3. shrub

Adjective

sêmak (comparative lebih semak, superlative paling semak)

1. bushy: like a bush in having many widely spread branches
2. (figuratively) complicated; disturbed and confused

   Synonym: kusut

Derived terms

Affixations

• bersemak
• menyemak
• menyemakkan
• semak-semak

Compounds

• semak belukar
• semak hati
• semak pikiran
• semak samun
• semak tinggi

Etymology 2

Affixation of se-; emak, mak (“mother”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /səˈmaʔ/ [səˈmaʔ]
• Rhymes: -aʔ
• Syllabification: se‧mak

Noun

sêmak (plural semak-semak)

1. (uterine) sibling

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈsemaʔ/ [ˈse.maʔ]
• Rhymes: -emaʔ
• Syllabification: se‧mak

Verb

sémak

1. alternative spelling of simak

Further reading

• “semak”, 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 1

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *samək (“dense undergrowth”) (with metathesis).

Pronunciation

• (Baku, schwa-variety) IPA^(key): /səˈmak/ [səˈmaʔ]
  • Rhymes: -maʔ, -aʔ
• (schwa-variety) IPA^(key): [səˈmäk̚]
  • Rhymes: -mak, -ak
• Hyphenation: se‧mak

Noun

semak (Jawi spelling سمق, plural semak-samun)

1. bush

Derived terms

Affixations

• bersemak
• menyemak

Descendants

• > Indonesian: semak (inherited)

Adjective

semak (Jawi spelling سمق, comparative lebih semak, superlative paling semak)

1. (Malaysia, Singapore, slang) annoying, burdensome, troublesome

   Synonyms: menggemaskan, menjengkelkan, menyakitkan hati

   Semak sial budak ni. ― This kid is fucking annoying.

   Jangan buat semak kat sini. ― Don't be a troublesome person here.

   • 2011 May 10, Fariha Abd Manaff, Cemerkap Itu Fabulous!‎^[2]:

     Semak doh bau!

     The smell is annoying!

2. (Malaysia, colloquial) messy (of a place)

   Synonyms: selerak, sepah, serak

   Antonym: kemas

   Bapak ah! Semak gila bilik kau. ― What the fuck! Your room is messy.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Persian سمع (sam'), from Arabic اِسْمَعْ (ismaʕ), سَمْع (samʕ, “to hear; to listen; to learn, to be told”).

Pronunciation

• (Baku, schwa-variety) IPA^(key): /ˈsemak/ [ˈse.maʔ]
  • Rhymes: -emaʔ, -maʔ, -aʔ
• (schwa-variety) IPA^(key): [seˈmäk̚]
  • Rhymes: -emak, -mak, -ak
• Hyphenation: se‧mak

Verb

sémak (Jawi spelling سيمق)

1. to check, to scan
2. (rare) to listen
3. (rare) to revise

Derived terms

Affixations

• bersemak
• menyemak
• penyemak
• penyemakan
• semakan
• tersemak

Descendants

• > Indonesian: simak (inherited)

Further reading

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