kenapakah

Kenapakah is a form of the Malay and Indonesian interrogative phrase meaning "why" that appears chiefly in classical Malay literature, poetry, and formal discourse. It is a more archaic or literary variant compared with the everyday kenapa or mengapa.

Etymology and form: The sentence-final particle kah is attached to interrogative bases such as kenapa or mengapa, yielding kenapakah or mengapakah. In older Malay, the form kenapakah can also appear with the prefix meng- in the form mengapakah, both serving the same core meaning: "for what reason" or "why."

Usage: Kenapakah is typically found in rhetorical questions, religious or philosophical discourse, and poetry where a classical or elevated tone is desired. It is rare in modern everyday Indonesian or Malay but may occur in translations, academic writing, or literature to evoke antiquity or solemnity.

Examples: Kenapakah engkau berbuat demikian? (Why did you do such a thing?) Kenapakah demikian? (Why is that so?)

See also: kenapa, mengapa, mengapakah. In contemporary language, kenapa is the most common everyday form, while mengapa is preferred in formal contexts; kenapakah remains primarily a literary or historical variant.