unsurs

Unsurs is a term used primarily in Indonesian and Malay, where unsur means element, component, or factor. In these languages, it denotes a basic part of a larger whole, whether in science, culture, or everyday description. The plural form in Indonesian and Malay is typically expressed through reduplication, unsur-unsur; in English-language texts the plural is sometimes written as unsurs, though this is relatively uncommon and translators usually render it as elements or components.

In scientific usage, unsur refers to a chemical element (unsur kimia) or to a fundamental constituent of a model or theory. In cultural, social, and linguistic contexts, it is used to describe elements or factors of a system: cultural elements (unsur budaya), social elements (unsur sosial), or elements of language. In Indonesian dictionaries, unsur is defined as any part that constitutes a whole, from physical substances to abstract factors.

Outside Indonesian and Malay scholarship, the term appears mainly in bilingual or translated works and may be introduced to English readers as a loanword, with glosses such as element, component, or factor. Overall, unsur is a generic label for a part that contributes to the characteristics of a larger whole, with plurality expressed through language-specific conventions.