ujaran

Ujaran is a noun in Indonesian and Malay that denotes an utterance, statement, or expression—something spoken or written as a result of speaking. It is derived from the verb ujar, meaning to utter or to say, with the suffix -an forming a nominalized noun that refers to the act of uttering or its content.

In practice, ujaran can refer to a single utterance or to a body of spoken statements. It appears in dictionaries, linguistic descriptions, transcripts, and journalistic reporting when the exact words spoken are cited. The term is often distinguished from ucapan, which also means speech or address but tends to emphasize the formal occasion or ceremonial context, whereas ujaran highlights the act of speaking or the content of what was said.

In legal, parliamentary, or media contexts, an ujaran may be quoted as evidence of a position or claim, and in literature it can indicate a character’s spoken lines or quoted material. The term thus functions across fields as a way to reference the literal words spoken or written by someone.

Ujaran is widely understood in both Indonesian and Malay, with slight usage preferences depending on region and register. While ucapan remains common for formal speeches, ujaran serves as a broader reference to uttered content in everyday and textual contexts. See also related terms for reported speech and quotation in Malay and Indonesian vocabulary.