kereta api

Indonesian

Etymology

Compound of kereta (“car; carriage”) +‎ api (“fire”), from Malay kereta api, probably calque of Chinese 火車／火车 (huǒchē, “train”, literally “fire + car”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kəˈrɛt̪a ˈapi]

Noun

kêrèta api

1. train, a line of connected railway cars or carriages considered overall as a mode of transport.

   Synonyms: kereta, sepur

Alternative forms

• KA (initialism)

Affixed terms

• berkereta api
• perkeretaapian

 

Compounds

• kereta api bawah tanah
• kereta api bumel
• kereta api diesel
• kereta api ekspres
• kereta api listrik
• kereta api magnet

 

Further reading

• “kereta api” 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

Alternative forms

• keretapi
• کريتا اڤي
• کريتاڤي

Etymology

Compound of kereta (“car; carriage”) +‎ api (“fire; electricity”). Probably from calque of Chinese 火車／火车 (huǒchē, “train”, literally “fire + car”).

Pronunciation

• (Johor-Selangor) IPA^(key): /kəretə api/
• (Riau-Lingga) IPA^(key): /kəreta api/
• Rhymes: -api, -pi, -i

Noun

kereta api (Jawi spelling کريتا اڤي, plural kereta-kereta api, informal 1st possessive kereta apiku, 2nd possessive kereta apimu, 3rd possessive kereta apinya)

1. train (line of connected cars or carriages)
   • 2009, Siti Zainon Ismail, Bait senandung malam — dari stesan ke stesen, page xi:

     Dengan tiket kereta api menuju ke destinasi pilihan. Berbekal buku untuk menambah ilmu, dengan sedikit barang-barang keperluan, kau memilih jahur kereta api ke selatan.

     With a train ticket going to the chosen destination. You must armed with a book to increase knowledge, with a few required items, you choose to the train bound for South.

Synonyms

• tren / ترين

Compounds

• kereta api bawah tanah
• kereta api elektrik

 

Descendants

• Indonesian: kereta api
• → Tausug: karita' api