kekekalan

Kekekalan is a noun used in Malay and Indonesian linguistic contexts to describe the quality or state of being permanent or enduring. It is formed from the adjective kekal, meaning permanent or lasting, with the nominal suffix -an. The resulting term conveys enduring permanence or eternity in certain literary and philosophical registers.

Etymology: Derived from kekal + -an; semantics align with permanence, often used in elevated diction or translation. In religious or metaphysical discourse, it can denote an unchanging, timeless nature of the divine or universal truths.

Usage: Not common in everyday Indonesian; more likely to appear in literature, philosophy, or formal discourse. In contemporary usage, keabadian is often preferred to denote eternal time, while kekekalan emphasizes lasting duration or constancy in more specialized or poetic contexts.

Related terms include kekal (permanent), keabadian (eternity), and phrases such as kekal abadi, which likewise convey notions of enduring or eternal quality. Because kekekalan is relatively rare, its exact nuance can vary by author and text, and readers generally rely on context to determine whether it signals permanence, eternity, or a poetic sense of timelessness.