Sekély

Sekély is an adjective in Malay and Indonesian meaning shallow or lacking depth. It describes something with little vertical distance or a shallow extent, most commonly used for water or other physical substances. In everyday Indonesian and Malay, cetek or dangkal are more common terms for shallow water, while sekély tends to appear in formal, literary, or descriptive contexts to convey a similar sense of reduced depth.

In physical terms, sekély refers to bodies of water that do not have much depth, such as shallow lakes, rivers, or coastal areas. It can also be used more broadly for surfaces or materials that are not deep, such as a sekély layer of sediment. The word is often found in writing that aims for a more elevated or precise description, with cetek and dangkal serving as the everyday equivalents.

Figuratively, sekély can describe a lack of depth or nuance in non-physical contexts. It is used to characterize thinking, analysis, or knowledge that is superficial or insufficiently developed. Phrases discussing sekely or sekject ideas tend to emphasize the shallow nature of the subject rather than its literal depth.

Register and usage notes: sekély is native to both Malay and Indonesian and is understood across the Malay-speaking world. In daily speech, speakers often prefer cetek or dangkal for simplicity, while sekély carries a more formal or literary tone. Related terms include cetek and dangkal as well as phrases that denote insufficient depth.

See also: cetek, dangkal, shallow water.