samping

Samping is a word used in Malay and Indonesian that denotes position to the side of something or in relation to a neighboring element. It functions primarily as a preposition or a noun in compounds, and its sense centers on lateral or adjacent location rather than the center or front.

In everyday language, samping appears in common place names and descriptive phrases that indicate orientation. Examples include jalan samping (a side street), dinding samping (the side wall), tepi samping (the side edge), and samping kiri or samping kanan (the left side or right side). In architectural, urban, and geographic contexts, the term helps describe lateral parts of structures, plots, or layouts and clarifies which portion is being referenced.

Derivational uses of samping expand its meaning to related concepts. Compounds and related forms such as sampingan or phrases like pendapatan sampingan, while using a related root, convey notions of secondary or auxiliary status rather than primary importance. These formations illustrate how the core idea of side or beside can extend to secondary roles, supplementary income, or auxiliary tasks in everyday and formal language.

The word appears across Malay- and Indonesian-speaking regions and is typically written in the Latin alphabet, with historical usage also seen in Jawi script in traditional texts. Its simple, spatial sense makes samping a common term in descriptive language, navigation, and design-related discussions.