macam

See also: maçam

English

Alternative forms

• macham, machiam

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Malay macam (“like”).

Pronunciation

• (Singapore) IPA^(key): /ˈmat͡ʃam/
  • With pitch accent: IPA^(key): [ˈma˧t͡ʃam˦], [-˦˧]

Preposition

macam

1. (Singapore, Singlish, Malaysia) Like, similar to, resembling.
   • 2006, Elangovan, Smegma, Singapore, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 33:

     Eee! Who-ah? You-ah? Oi! Cannot tahan man. Never shit so long-ah? Macham atomic bomb man. Uncle! Your old backside got big gas refinery is it?

   • 2018, Jean Tay, Sisters & Senang: The Island Plays, Epigram Books, →ISBN, Scene 3, Island Talk 1:

     Macham [like] monster like that. My eyes lagi [even more] worse.

   • 2020 April 10, All Singapore Stuff, Facebook:

     Macam like rats stuck in pigeon holes

Indonesian

Etymology

Inherited from Malay macam.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈmat͡ʃam/ [ˈma.t͡ʃam]
• Rhymes: -at͡ʃam
• Syllabification: ma‧cam

Noun

macam (plural macam-macam)

1. type; kind (a grouping based on shared characteristics)

   Synonyms: jenis, tipe

   berbagai macam cara ― all sorts of ways

2. (rare) way (a method or manner of doing something; a mannerism)

   Synonym: bagaimana

Preposition

macam

1. like (similar to, reminiscent of)

   Synonyms: seperti, bagaikan, bangsa

Derived terms

• bermacam
• bermacam-macam
• macam-macam
• semacam

• macam mana

Malay

Alternative forms

• cam (apheresis)
• mcm (Internet, text messaging)

Etymology

First attested in c. 1380s in Hikayat Amir Hamzah, in the form of semacamnya.

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmat͡ʃam/ [ˈma.t͡ʃam]
• Rhymes: -at͡ʃam, -t͡ʃam, -am
• Hyphenation: ma‧cam

Noun

macam (Jawi spelling ماچم, plural macam-macam or macam²)

1. type

   Synonym: jenis

Conjunction

macam (Jawi spelling ماچم)

1. like, similar to

   Synonyms: seperti, laksana

   Kecomelan amoi tu macam arnab.

   The cuteness of that Chinese girl looks similar to a bunny.

Derived terms

• bermacam
• bermacam-macam
• macam mana
• macam-macam
• semacam

Descendants

• > Indonesian: macam (inherited)

Further reading

• "macam" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈma.t͡sam/
• Rhymes: -at͡sam
• Syllabification: ma‧cam

Verb

macam

1. first-person singular present of macać