Where does “salah guna” come from?
salah guna (Indonesian) comes from Indonesian guna, from Malay guna, from Classical Malay guna, from Sanskrit गुण, from Proto-Indo-European ger- — to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...
Ancestry of “salah guna”, step by step
salah guna traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Indonesian guna
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indonesian | guna | benefit; purpose, function; goodness |
| 2 | Malay | guna | usage; benefit; purpose, function |
| 3 | Classical Malay | guna | — |
| 4 | Sanskrit | गुण | use; talent; virtue |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ger- | to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind... |