karatan

Karatan is a term that may refer to several different topics, rather than a single, widely defined concept. In Indonesian and Malay linguistic usage, karatan is related to rust. It is connected to the word karat, which denotes rust or the process of corrosion, with the nominal suffix -an used to form a noun describing a state or condition. In practice, karatan can describe something that has rusted or the rusted state of metal; for example, besi karatan would mean rusty iron. While berkarat is a common adjective for rusted objects, karatan appears in dictionaries and texts as a noun or attributive form in some contexts.

Beyond language use, karatan may function as a proper noun in other contexts, including as a surname or place name in certain regions. However, there is no single dominant English-language reference for this usage, and any identification of a specific person, place, or organization bearing the name requires additional context.

Etymology: karatan derives from karat, the root associated with rust or corrosion in Malay and Indonesian, with the nominal suffix -an forming a noun that designates the state or condition.

See also: karat, rust, corrosion, berkarat.