Mahkamah
/mah.ka.mah/noun
A court or tribunal, especially in Malay and Indonesian usage.
Did you know?Mahkamah comes from the Arabic root ḥ-k-m, which connects judgment with wisdom, authority, and governance; the same root produces Arabic ḥikmah, meaning wisdom.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḥ-k-m
“A reconstructed root associated with ruling, judging, deciding, and wisdom”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḥakama
“He judged, ruled, or decided”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
maḥkama(t)
“A court or place where judgment is given”
Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish
mahkeme
“Court or tribunal; a form that influenced regional usage”
19th Century
Malay
mahkamah
“Court or courthouse, adopted from Arabic through Islamic legal and administrative vocabulary”
Modern English
English
mahkamah
“A court or tribunal, chiefly used when referring to Malay or Indonesian institutions”