musim semi (Indonesian)
Where does "musim semi" come from?
The Indonesian term 'musim semi' is a compound phrase that translates literally to 'sprouting season.' The word 'musim' originates from the Arabic 'mawsim,' arriving via Malay, while 'semi' is a loanword from Javanese meaning 'to sprout.' Together, they poetically describe spring as the time when nature begins to grow.
Full etymology tree
- musim semi (Indonesian), 'spring (season)'
- compound musim (Indonesian), 'season:'
- inherited musim (Malay), 'season (quarter of a year)'
- borrowed مَوْسِم (mawsim) (Arabic), 'season'
- inherited musim (Malay), 'season (quarter of a year)'
- compound semi (Indonesian), 'shoot, sprout'
- inherited semi (Malay)
- phono-semantic match ꦱꦼꦩꦶ (semi) (Javanese)
- inherited semi (Malay)
- compound musim (Indonesian), 'season:'
Ancestors
- musim (Indonesian)
- semi (Indonesian)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris