belang

Belang is a term found in several languages with distinct meanings. In Malay and Indonesian, belang primarily denotes a stripe, line, or marking on a surface, animal, or garment. The word is used for coat and fabric patterns and can describe both natural markings and designed designs. In Indonesian, belang appears in common terms such as kuda belang, which refers to a zebra, literally a striped horse, and kain belang, meaning striped cloth. The derived adjective berbelang describes something that has stripes or markings.

In everyday usage, belang covers patterns ranging from stripes to patches on animals, fur, feathers, and textiles. The concept is tied to visual appearance and patterning, rather than a functional attribute. Malay and Indonesian speakers may use reduplicit forms like belang-belang to emphasize striped or variegated patterns.

In Dutch, belang has a different, unrelated meaning. It translates roughly as interest, importance, or stake. It appears in phrases such as in iemands belang (in someone’s interest) or het belang van de zaak (the importance of the matter), and in compounds like belanghebbende (stakeholder) or van belang zijn (to be of importance).

Summary: Belang most commonly refers to stripes or markings in Malay and Indonesian usage, with cultural examples such as kuda belang (zebra). In Dutch, the term means interest or importance, illustrating a notable semantic divergence across languages.