kuda nil

Indonesian

FWOTD – 8 November 2020

Etymology

Compound of kuda (“horse”) ‎ nil (“Nile river”), calque of Dutch nijlpaard.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkud̪a ˈnɪl]

Noun

kuda nil (plural kuda-kuda nil, first-person possessive kuda nilku, second-person possessive kuda nilmu, third-person possessive kuda nilnya)

1. hippopotamus

   Synonym: badak air

   • 1988, Ensiklopedi Indonesia. Seri fauna: Serangga, page 421:

     Kuda nil agak berisik dan senantiasa memperdengarkan suara menggeram yang terutama menyebar jauh di atas air.

     The hippopotamus is somewhat loud and always hears sounds growling from far on the water.

Further reading

• “kuda nil” 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.