jiak kentang (English)
Where does "jiak kentang" come from?
The term 'jiak kentang' originates from the Malaysian and Singaporean Hokkien phrase '食kentang', which combines the Hokkien word '食' meaning 'to eat' with the Malay word 'kentang' meaning 'potatoes'[1]. This expression historically characterized Westernization, as consuming potatoes rather than traditional rice was viewed as an adoption of a Western lifestyle[1]. The Malay word 'kentang' itself was borrowed from the Javanese form 'ꦏꦼꦤ꧀ꦛꦁ'[2].
Open questions
- The ultimate origin of the Javanese form 'ꦏꦼꦤ꧀ꦛꦁ' is unknown, though it is hypothesized to descend from the reconstructed Proto Mon Khmer form '*t₁aŋ' meaning 'joint' or 'jointed stem'. [3]
Full etymology tree
- jiak kentang (English), 'Westernized; rejecting aspects of one's own culture or heritage in favor of Western ideologies and practices.'
- compound 食 (chia̍h) (Hokkien)
- compound kentang (Malay), 'potato'
- borrowed ꦏꦼꦤ꧀ꦛꦁ (kenthang) (Javanese), 'potato: the tuber of a plant, Solanum tuberosum, eaten as a starchy vegetable, particularly in the Americas and Europe; this plant.'
- derived *t₁aŋ (Proto-Mon-Khmer)
- borrowed ꦏꦼꦤ꧀ꦛꦁ (kenthang) (Javanese), 'potato: the tuber of a plant, Solanum tuberosum, eaten as a starchy vegetable, particularly in the Americas and Europe; this plant.'
Ancestors
- kentang (Malay)
Sources
- jiak kentang (English) - Wiktionary
- kentang (Malay) - Wiktionary
- ꦏꦼꦤ꧀ꦛꦁ (kenthang) (Javanese) - Wiktionary
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris