mertua

Indonesian

Etymology

Inherited from Malay mertua, from Javanese ꦩꦫꦠꦸꦮ (maratuwa).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mərˈtua/ [mərˈt̪u.a]
• Rhymes: -tua, -ua, -a
• Hyphenation: mêr‧tu‧a

Noun

mertua (first-person possessive mertuaku, second-person possessive mertuamu, third-person possessive mertuanya)

1. parent-in-law

Alternative forms

• mentua

Further reading

• “mertua” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Malay

Etymology

Borrowed from Javanese ꦩꦫꦠꦸꦮ (maratuwa).

Pronunciation

• (Johor-Riau) IPA^(key): [mə(r).tu.wə]
  • Rhymes: -ə
• (Baku) IPA^(key): [mə(r).tu.wa]
  • Rhymes: -a
• Hyphenation: mer‧tu‧a

Noun

mertua (Jawi spelling مرتوا, plural mertua-mertua, informal 1st possessive mertuaku, 2nd possessive mertuamu, 3rd possessive mertuanya)

1. A parent-in-law.

Alternative forms

• mentua

Descendants

• Indonesian: mertua

Further reading

• “mertua” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.