Belumkah

Belumkah is a term encountered in Indonesian and Malay grammar used to form a yes‑no question that emphasizes that something has not yet occurred. It combines the adverb belum (not yet) with the question particle kah, typically resulting in a single interrogative word written as belumkah in modern Indonesian orthography.

Usage and register: Belumkah tends to appear in formal, literary, or ceremonial contexts and in religious or traditional discourse. It is less common in everyday speech, where speakers may opt for more casual forms such as using the particle apakah or placing belum in a clause before the verb without fusion. The construction signals a deliberate emphasis on the timing of an action, akin to asking “Hasn’t it happened yet?” or “Haven’t we/you/he/she done this yet?”

Syntax and examples: Belumkah generally precedes the subject or the verb it interrogates, as in Belumkah kita berangkat? or Belumkah dia menyelesaikan tugas itu? The tone is more formal and sometimes rhetorical, depending on context and intonation.

Etymology: The form derives from the combination of belum (not yet) and kah (a standard yes–no question particle) in Malay and Indonesian. While belum and kah can appear separately in less formal writing or speech, the fused form belumkah is a recognized option in formal usage.

See also: kah, belum, apakah, question formation in Indonesian and Malay.