Tuhan
/ˈtuː.han/noun
The Indonesian and Malay word for God, especially the singular supreme deity.
Did you know?In Indonesian, Tuhan is commonly capitalized when referring to the one God, while tuhan in lowercase can mean a god or deity in some contexts.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Malayo-Polynesian (proposed)
PMP
*tuqaN / *tuaŋ
“A reconstructed Austronesian form associated with an elder, lord, or master; the exact reconstruction and semantic pathway remain debated.”
Old Malay
Old Malay
tuhan / tuwan
“A lord, master, or revered superior; early forms show variation between h and w.”
Classical Malay
Malay
Tuhan
“A lord or supreme deity, increasingly used in Islamic contexts for God.”
16th–17th Century
Malay
Tuhan
“God or the Lord in Malay religious writing and translations.”
Modern Indonesian
Indonesian
Tuhan
“God, especially the singular supreme deity; lowercase tuhan may refer to a god or deity generally.”