empu

Indonesian

Etymology

From Malay empu, from Old Javanese empu, mpu, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əmpu. Doublet of ampu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əmˈpu/
• Rhymes: -pu, -u

Noun

êmpu (first-person possessive empuku, second-person possessive empumu, third-person possessive empunya)

1. An honorific title applied to artists (especially craftsmen, as famous krismaker Empu Gandring) and scholars (or poets as Empu Tantular, Empu Sedah, Empu Panuluh) in ancient Javanese history.
2. (rare) maestro: a master in some art, especially a composer or conductor.

   Synonym: maestro

Alternative forms

• ampu

Derived terms

• empunya
• mengempu
• perempuan

 

Noun

êmpu (first-person possessive empuku, second-person possessive empumu, third-person possessive empunya)

1. head

   Synonyms: hulu, kepala

Derived terms

• empu jari
• empu kaki
• empu tangan

 

Further reading

• “empu” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.

Malay

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əmpu. Doublet of ampu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əmpu/
• Rhymes: -əmpu, -pu, -u

Noun

empu

1. An honorific title applied to artists (especially craftsmen, as famous krismaker Empu Gandring) and scholars (or poets as Empu Tantular, Empu Sedah, Empu Panuluh) in ancient Javanese history.
2. Owner, master

Derived terms

• empunya
• mengempu
• perempuan

 

Further reading

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

Old Javanese

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əmpu.

Noun

empu

1. Alternative form of mpu

Descendants

• Indonesian: empu