semut

Indonesian

Etymology

From Malay semut, from Classical Malay سموت (semut), from Aslian, from Proto-Austroasiatic *smuːcʔ (“ant”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /səˈmut/ [səˈmʊt̪̚]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ut
• Syllabification: se‧mut

Noun

sêmut (plural semut-semut)

1. (zoology) ant

Derived terms

• bersemut
• disemuti
• kesemutan
• menyemut
• menyemuti
• semut-semutan

• semut angkrang
• semut api
• semut firaun
• semut gajah
• semut gatal
• semut geramang
• semut gula
• semut hitam
• semut kerengga
• semut keripik
• semut pudak
• semut putih
• semut rangrang
• semut setanda
• semut temenggung
• semut tukang kayu

Further reading

• Sidwell, Paul (2024) “500 Proto Austroasiatic Etyma: Version 1.0”, in Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society‎^[1], volume 17, number 1, pages i–xxxiii
• “semut” 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.

Javanese

Noun

semut

1. ant

Malay

Alternative forms

• samut (Brunei Malay)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /səmʊt/
• Hyphenation: se‧mut

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ut

Noun

semut (Jawi spelling سموت, plural semut-semut)

1. ant

Descendants

• > Indonesian: semut (inherited)

Further reading

• “semut” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.