kambing hitam

Indonesian

Etymology

Compound of kambing (“goat”) +‎ hitam (“black”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkambɪŋ ˈhitam]

Noun

kambing hitam (first-person possessive kambing hitamku, second-person possessive kambing hitammu, third-person possessive kambing hitamnya)

1. (literal) black goat
2. (idiomatic) scapegoat

Further reading

• “kambing hitam” 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

Idiom

kambing hitam

1. black sheep