paksi

Paksi is a term used in Indonesian and Malay to denote an axis or line of reference around which objects are arranged, rotated, or measured. The word functions as a technical noun across mathematics, physics, engineering, and related disciplines, emphasizing directionality and symmetry.

In mathematics and geometry, paksi appears in phrases such as paksi simetri (axis of symmetry) and paksi utama (major axis), the latter especially in the description of ellipses and other conic sections. It also appears in physics and mechanics to denote an axis of rotation or the principal axes used to describe an object's inertia and rotational properties.

Although related terms exist for coordinate graphs—such as sumbu x and sumbu y in Indonesian—the use of paksi more commonly appears in symmetry, rotational, and structural contexts rather than general graphing. The term is a loanword borrowed from English axis and is part of standard Indonesian and Malay mathematical vocabulary.

In addition to its technical uses, paksi appears in educational and scientific writing to provide a concise translation for discussions of rotational dynamics, symmetry analysis, and mechanical design. It is typically distinguished from more everyday references to lines or directions by its specialized connotations in geometry and physics.

See also sumbu, axis, symmetry, coordinate system.