Where does “lebih kurang” come from?

lebih kurang (Malay) comes from Malay lebih, from Proto-Malayic *ləbih, from Proto-Austronesian *ləbiq.

lebih kurang (Malay): more or less; approximately; about; roughly

Definitions

  1. more or less; approximately; about; roughly

Ancestry of “lebih kurang”, step by step

lebih kurang traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Malay lebih

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Malaylebihremainder
2Proto-Malayic*ləbih—
3Proto-Austronesian*ləbiq—

via Malay kurang

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Malaykurangless; fewer; not enough
2Proto-Malayic*kuraŋ—
Every word from Proto-Austronesian *ləbiq →Every word from Proto-Malayic *ləbih →Every word from Malay lebih →