Lincah

Lincah is an Indonesian adjective meaning agile, nimble, or quick in movement or thought. It is used to describe people, animals, or systems that perform tasks with ready flexibility, speed, or dexterity. The term is common in everyday Indonesian and also appears in Malay with a related sense of quickness and deftness.

Etymology and variations: Lincah is a native Malay-Indonesian word. It can appear in reduplicated form as lincah-lincah to emphasize high agility. The related noun cekatan expresses nimbleness or deftness and can function in similar contexts. The word is typically placed before nouns (lincah gerakannya, a lincah person) or used predicatively (pekerja itu lincah).

Usage and examples: In sports or physical activity, phrases like gaya lincah or gerak lincah describe nimble footwork or swiftness. In work or cognition, lincah can describe quick, flexible problem solving or adaptable processes, such as a “komponen lincah” in a device. The precise degree of lincah is context-dependent and is often compared with normative expectations within a field or activity. Lincah can also convey perceptual or aesthetic impressions of agility in performance or design.

See also: The term is part of a broader semantic field that includes synonyms such as cekatan and cepat, and contrasts with antonyms like kaku (stiff) and lambat (slow). In Malay and Indonesian lexicons, lincah is a standard descriptor of agility across domains.