samseng
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Malay samseng, from Hokkien 三牲 (sam-seng, sam-sng, “gangster”, literally “three domestic animals”).
Pronunciation
Noun
samseng (plural samsengs)
Indonesian
Etymology 1
Inherited from Malay samseng, from Chinese Hokkien 三牲 (sam-seng, sam-sng, “gangster”, literally “three domestic animals”).
Pronunciation
- (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /ˈsamsɛŋ/ [ˈsam.sɛŋ]
- Rhymes: -amsɛŋ
- Syllabification: sam‧seng
Noun
samseng (plural samseng-samseng)
- warrior
- Synonyms: jagoan, pendekar
Etymology 2
Pronunciation
- (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /ˈsamsəŋ/ [ˈsam.səŋ]
- Rhymes: -amsəŋ
- Syllabification: sam‧seng
Verb
samseng
Further reading
- “samseng” 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
Borrowed from Hokkien 三牲 (sam-seng, sam-sng, “gangster”, literally “three domestic animals”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈsamseŋ/ [ˈsam.seŋ]
- Rhymes: -eŋ
- Hyphenation: sam‧seng
Noun
samséng (Jawi spelling سمسيڠ, plural samseng-samseng)
- thug; gangster
- 2018, Bung Moktar Radin, “Waktu Mesyuarat dan Urusan Dibebaskan Daripada Peraturan Mesyuarat”, in Hansard of the Dewan Rakyat[1], archived from the original on 16 October 2023, page 41:
- Yang Berhormat tidak layak duduk di sini, samseng. What you want? You hendak gaduh dengan saya? Anytime.
- Your Honour (Willie Mongin) doesn't deserve to sit here, gangster. What do you want? You want to fight with me? Anytime.
Descendants
Further reading
- “samseng” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.