jakun
English
Etymology
Semantic extension of the Malay Jakun, an indigenous ethnic group inhabiting the jungles of Pahang, Johor and Negeri Sembilan.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /d͡ʒʌkun/
Adjective
jakun (comparative more jakun, superlative most jakun)
- (informal, derogatory, Singapore) Fascinated by objects, events, or experiences which seem ordinary to others.
- 2009 February 9, The Jakun Tourist A Jakun Tourist’s Worst Nightmare…:
- A jakun tourist’s worst nightmare…is an idiot who simply cannot see that people want to take photographs & simply stands right in front of the object jakun tourists want to photograph, & lingers around it.
- 2013 May 17, Joel Wong, ONE Asia MMA Summit 2013: The Recap:
- Yes, it was one of the many jakun moments I had while in Singapore.
- 2015 December 26, The Halal Food Blog, Jinjja Chicken:
- And it’s popular foods in Korean culture that apparently so many of our readers are familiar with it all! But of course, we all jakun lah LOL.
- 2015 June 26, shaolintiger, Frog Porridge, Chicken Rice & the Journey Home:
- Sorry so jakun, need to post a picture of my Uber because it looks like a Bentley.
- 2016 March 18, fatinabilaah, [Twitter feed]:
- I was so jakun with the pen thingy and this happened hehe I feel like a kid.
- (informal, offensive, Malaysia) Overly excited, bad-tempered, unruly, or unsophisticated.
Synonyms
Indonesian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈd͡ʒakʊn]
- Hyphenation: ja‧kun
Etymology 1
From Minangkabau jakun.
Noun
jakun (first-person possessive jakunku, second-person possessive jakunmu, third-person possessive jakunnya)
- Adam's apple (the lump in the throat)
Synonyms
- lekum
- halkum (Standard Malay)
Etymology 2
From Malay jakun, from extension of the Malay Jakun, an indigenous ethnic group inhabiting the jungles of Pahang, Johor and Negeri Sembilan. Compare to meaning of Singaporean English jakun.
Adjective
jakun
- (dialect, Riau) jakun: fascinated with objects, events, or experiences which seem ordinary to others.
Further reading
- “jakun” 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 1
From Minangkabau jakun.
Noun
jakun (plural jakun-jakun, informal 1st possessive jakunku, 2nd possessive jakunmu, 3rd possessive jakunnya)
- Adam's apple (the lump in the throat).
Etymology 2
From extension of the Malay Jakun, an indigenous ethnic group inhabiting the jungles of Pahang, Johor and Negeri Sembilan.
Adjective
jakun
- (informal, offensive, Malaysia) jakun: being too excited, bad-tempered, unruly, or unsophisticated.
Further reading
- “jakun” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.