kuning (Indonesian)
Where does "kuning" come from?
The Indonesian word "kuning" traces its roots back to the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian term "kunij," which originally referred to the plant turmeric. Over time, the word evolved through Malay to describe the color yellow, likely influenced by the vibrant hue of the turmeric spice or the flower of the orange jessamine plant. This linguistic journey reflects how a specific botanical reference expanded to denote the color itself.
Full etymology tree
- kuning (Indonesian), 'yellow (having yellow as its colour)'
- inherited kuning (Malay), 'yellow (having yellow as its colour)'
- inherited *kuniŋ (Proto-Malayic)
- inherited kuning (Karo Batak)
- inherited *kunij (Proto-Malayo-Polynesian), 'turmeric, Curcuma longa'
- inherited *kamuniŋ (Proto-Malayo-Polynesian), 'orange jessamine (Murraya paniculata)'
- inherited kuning (Karo Batak)
- inherited *kuniŋ (Proto-Malayic)
- inherited kuning (Malay), 'yellow (having yellow as its colour)'
Ancestors
- kuning (Malay)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris