paman

Paman is a kinship term used in Indonesian and Malay to designate a paternal uncle—the brother of one's father. It is a standard word in family vocabulary and is used in everyday speech as well as in formal contexts. A younger person may address a paternal uncle as paman, or as Paman followed by the relative’s name, such as Paman Budi, to show respect or familiarity.

Beyond its literal meaning, paman can function as a polite form of address for older men who are not close relatives, similar to “uncle” or “sir” in English. The exact usage can vary by region and community, with some speakers reserving paman for close family relations on the father’s side and using other terms for relatives on the mother’s side or for non-relatives.

Etymology and scope: The term is native to Malay-speaking and Indonesian-speaking communities and belongs to a broader system of kinship terms that distinguish paternal from other relatives. It has cognates across Austronesian languages and reflects social patterns in which paternal connections are given specific labels within everyday speech and formal address.

Usage notes: In Indonesian and Malaysian communities, the choice of kinship terms can convey generation, distance, and respect. Regional dialects and family practices influence whether paman is used strictly for a real uncle or more broadly as an affectionate or respectful address for older men.

Paman is part of the broader kinship vocabulary of Malay and Indonesian languages.