istimewa

Indonesian

Etymology

From Malay istimewa, from Classical Malay istimewa, said to be from Sanskrit आस्तामेव (āstāmeva, literally “May it keep on being so.”), i.e. आस्ताम् (āstām), the middle-voice 3rd-person singular imperative of आस् (ās, “to sit; to continue; to exist; to last”) + एव (eva), a particle for emphasis. However, the form may have been influenced by Arabic loanwords.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /istiˈmɛwa/ [is.t̪iˈmɛ.wa]
• Rhymes: -ɛwa
• Syllabification: is‧ti‧me‧wa

Adjective

istimèwa

1. special.

   Synonyms: khas, khusus, spesial

Derived terms

• keistimewaan
• mengistimewakan
• pengistimewaan
• teristimewa

• daerah istimewa

Further reading

• “istimewa” 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.

Malay

Etymology

From Classical Malay istimewa, said to be from Sanskrit आस्तामेव (āstāmeva, literally “May it keep on being so.”), i.e. आस्ताम् (āstām), the middle-voice 3rd-person singular imperative of आस् (ās, “to sit; to continue; to exist; to last”) + एव (eva), a particle for emphasis. However, the form may have been influenced by Arabic loanwords.

Pronunciation

• (Baku) IPA^(key): /istimewa/
• (Johor-Riau) IPA^(key): /istimewə/
• Rhymes: -ewa, -wa, -a

Adjective

istimewa (Jawi spelling ايستيميوا)

1. special

See also

• khas

Further reading

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