jempol

Jempol is the Indonesian and Malay word for the thumb, the short, thick first digit of the hand. It is opposable and critical for grip, pinch, and fine manipulation, allowing tasks from turning a key to picking up small objects. In ordinary speech, jempol refers to this digit; expressions such as giving a thumbs up are used to signal approval.

Anatomy and function: The thumb typically has two phalanges (proximal and distal), unlike the other fingers which have three. It articulates with the first metacarpal bone at the carpometacarpal joint and with the distal phalanx at the interphalangeal joint. Movement is produced by the thenar muscle group in the palm—abductor pollicis brevis, flexor pollicis brevis, and opponens pollicis—and by tendons such as flexor and extensor pollicis longus. The opposable thumb allows the metacarpal to rotate so the thumb can touch the fingertips of the other digits, a motion known as opposition.

Cultural and practical usage: The concept of a "thumbs up" is widely used as a sign of approval. In some regional contexts, gesture meanings can vary. The term jempol is widely used across Indonesian and Malay-speaking communities and can be extended to refer to the left or right thumb when specified as jempol kiri or jempol kanan in practical descriptions. See also: Thumb, Opposable digit, Thenar eminence.