kaitkan

Kaitkan is a verb used in Indonesian and Malay meaning to link, connect, or relate two things. The word is formed from the root kait, which signifies a hook or tie, with the suffix -kan to create a transitive verb. The related form mengaitkan, with the prefix me- and the root kait, is also common and carries a similar sense of actively establishing a link or relationship.

Literal usage refers to physically attaching or tying one object to another. For example, Kaitkan kabel ke saklar to connect a cable to a switch, or kaitkan tali pada ring di pintu. In these cases, kaitkan denotes a concrete act of connecting objects in space.

Figurative usage covers linking ideas, data, or events. For example, peneliti mengaitkan data konsumsi gula dengan peningkatan risiko diabetes, or wartawan mengaitkan kejadian itu dengan cuaca ekstrem. In journalism and academia, kaitkan and mengaitkan are used to express establishing an association or relationship between factors. The term can also imply attributing or implicating a cause, depending on context, particularly with phrases like mengaitkan seseorang dengan something, which may carry evaluative or accusatory nuance.

Related terms include kait (hook, tie), keterkaitan (interrelation or connection), and keterkaitkan (the state or quality of being related). While kaitkan often appears in practical instructions, mengaitkan is common in analytical and descriptive writing to convey conceptual connections. The word is widely understood in both Indonesian and Malay contexts.