musim

Musim is a term used in Indonesian and Malay to denote a season, a recurring period within a year associated with particular climatic or ecological conditions. The concept covers patterns in weather, rainfall, temperature, and related natural phenomena. The word comes from the Arabic mawsim (موسم), meaning season, and has entered Malay and Indonesian through historical contact and religious scholarship.

In everyday usage, musim describes regional patterns such as wet and dry seasons. Common expressions include musim hujan (rainy season) and musim kemarau (dry season). In hotter or colder contexts, speakers may refer to musim panas (hot season) and musim dingin (cold season). In regions with four-season climates, spring and autumn are also referenced as musim semi and musim gugur or musim luruh, respectively, while musim panas and musim dingin describe the two extreme seasons.

Two broad patterns influence how musim is used. In tropical and equatorial areas, two major seasons tied to monsoon or rainfall cycles are typical (wet vs dry). In temperate zones, four seasons are recognized, aligning with longer-term climatic cycles and often shaping agricultural, cultural, and social calendars. The term thus functions as a linguistic tool to summarize predictable yearly variation without specifying day-to-day weather.

Relationship to related terms: cuaca refers to weather conditions on a given day, while iklim denotes long-term climate. Musim sits between these concepts, describing the cyclical phases that recur annually within a region’s climate.