Where does “barangkali” come from?
barangkali (Malay) comes from Malay kali, from Javanese ꦏꦭ, from Old Javanese kali, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian kali, from Proto-Austronesian kalih, from Old Javanese ka-, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian ka-, from Proto-Austronesian ka- — inchoative.
barangkali (Malay): perhaps, maybe, hopefully
Definitions
- perhaps, maybe, hopefully
Ancestry of “barangkali”, step by step
barangkali traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Malay kali
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malay | kali | Obsolete form of gali; river; times |
| 2 | Javanese | ꦏꦭ | time; season; bird noose or snare |
| 3 | Old Javanese | kali | river |
| 4 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | kali | to dig up; to excavate |
| 5 | Proto-Austronesian | kalih | to dig up; to excavate |
| 6 | Old Javanese | ka- | passive verb-forming prefix |
| 7 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | ka- | marker of past time in temporal expressions |
| 8 | Proto-Austronesian | ka- | inchoative |
via Malay barang
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malay | barang | marker used to denote indefiniteness |