siapa

Indonesian

Alternative forms

• siape (colloquial, chiefly Jakarta)

Etymology

Inherited from Malay siapa, from Proto-Malayic *si-apa. By surface analysis, si (“personal marker”) +‎ apa (“what”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /siˈapa/ [siˈa.pa]
• Rhymes: -apa
• Syllabification: si‧a‧pa

Pronoun

siapa

1. who, whose

   Siapa itu? ― Who is that?

   Baju siapa ini? ― Whose shirt is this?

2. what (when enquiring about someone's name)

   Namamu siapa? ― What is your name?

   Siapa nama anak itu? ― What is that kid's name?

Derived terms

• siapa-siapa

• siapa lagi
• siapa lu siapa gua
• siapa pula
• siapa pun
• siapa saja

Further reading

• “siapa”, 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

Alternative forms

• sape (colloquial, pronunciation spelling)
• siap (clipping, text messaging)

Etymology

From Proto-Malayic *si-apa. By surface analysis, si +‎ apa (“what”). Compare with Pangasinan siopa.

Pronunciation

• (Southern Peninsular Malaysia Standard) IPA^(key): /ˈsiapə/ [ˈsja.pə]
  • Rhymes: -apə

• (Literary Standard) IPA^(key): /ˈsiapa/ [ˈsja.pa]
  • Rhymes: -apa
• Hyphenation: sia‧pa

Pronoun

siapa (Jawi spelling سياڤا)

1. who, whose

   Siapa itu? ― Who is that?

   Ini baju siapa? ― Whose shirt is this?

2. what (when enquiring about someone's name)

   Siapa nama kamu? ― What is your name?

   Nama budak tu siapa? ― What is that kid's name?

Derived terms

• barang siapa
• sesiapa
• siapa-siapa

Descendants

• Indonesian: siapa

Further reading

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

Venetan

Adjective

siapa

1. feminine singular of siapo