Kulit
/ˈkuː.lɪt/noun
A Malay and Indonesian word meaning “skin,” also used in English mainly in the term wayang kulit, a traditional shadow-puppet theater.
Did you know?In wayang kulit, intricately pierced leather puppets create moving silhouettes behind a screen, traditionally accompanied by a gamelan orchestra and a puppeteer who voices the characters.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Malayo-Polynesian
PMP
*kulit
“Skin or hide; reconstructed ancestor of the Malay and Indonesian word.”
Old Malay
Old Malay
kulit
“Skin, bark, or outer covering.”
Classical Malay
Malay
kulit
“Skin, hide, or a thin outer layer; the material used for leather objects and puppets.”
19th Century
English
wayang kulit
“A Malay or Indonesian shadow-puppet performance, literally “skin theater” or “skin puppet play.””
Modern English
English
kulit
“A loanword used chiefly in cultural and anthropological contexts, especially as part of wayang kulit.”