celah

Celah is a common noun in Indonesian and Malay meaning a narrow opening or space between two objects or parts. It can refer to a physical gap, such as a crevice in rock, a slit in fabric, or the gap between a door and its frame, as well as to abstract openings like opportunities or loopholes.

In usage, celah appears in a variety of contexts. For example, celah antara kusen dan pintu describes a space between a frame and a door, while celah hukum refers to a legal loophole and celah kesempatan to a narrow window of opportunity. The term is also used in architecture, engineering, and geology to denote gaps or separations, such as celah pada sambungan or crevices in rocks.

Etymology and scope: The word is native to Indonesian and Malay and is widely used in both everyday language and technical jargon. Its exact historical origin is not always detailed in English-language sources, but it is well established in the vocabularies of both languages and features in dictionaries and common discourse.

Related concepts include gap, crevice, and loophole. Celah captures both tangible gaps in physical structures and more figurative openings in rules, plans, or opportunities.