berbelang

Berbelang is an adjective in Indonesian and Malay that means striped or banded. It describes surfaces, coats, or patterns characterized by alternating light and dark stripes or markings. The term is commonly used in zoology, botany, textiles, and everyday description to convey a striped appearance.

Etymology and form: Berbelang is formed with the prefix ber- attached to belang, a noun meaning stripe, mark, or band. The construction indicates a characteristic or possessed pattern. In practice, belang functions both as a noun and a descriptor, while berbelang specifically emphasizes the striped pattern.

Usage: In zoology, berbelang is used to describe animals with stripes. Examples include harimau berbelang (striped tiger) and other striped mammals or reptiles. In Malay and Indonesian everyday language, berbelang can describe textiles or surfaces, such as kain belang (striped fabric) or keramik berbelang (striped ceramic). Some fixed expressions or common names use related forms, such as kuda belang, the local term for zebra, which centers on the stripe concept rather than the exact grammatical form berbelang.

Regional presence: The word is widely understood in Indonesia and Malaysia, where Malay-influenced Indonesian uses berbelang to denote striped patterns. Its usage overlaps with other terms for patterns, such as belang in the broader sense of markings or motifs, or garis for lines.

See also: belang (stripe or marking), garis (line), motif belang, kuda belang (zebra).