English word origin

Etymology of kris

Borrowed from Malay keris. Doublet of kalis. Recognized as part of English ca. 1580.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗

verb

To stab or cut with a kris; to kill with a kris.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Malay keris. Doublet of kalis. Recognized as part of English ca. 1580.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionkerisms
Doublet mentionkalisen

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ms",
        "3": "keris"
      },
      "expansion": "Malay keris"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "kalis"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of kalis"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "keris",
      "keris#Malay"
    ],
    [
      "kalis",
      "kalis#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To stab or cut with a kris; to kill with a kris."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "cfdb00beac0deac10c6aee8e9b89e6648b47266ba9f49901e46c1ce5327863f2",
      "rawRecordSha256": "68e05ff4d82dd947a0eb353723f6303c730d8ec595a70aa9afd0b53ddf54a48a",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 225350
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗

noun

A traditional Indonesian, Malaysian, or Filipino sword or dagger having a tapering, usually serpentine blade.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Malay keris. Doublet of kalis. Recognized as part of English ca. 1580.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionkerisms
Doublet mentionkalisen

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ms",
        "3": "keris"
      },
      "expansion": "Malay keris"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "kalis"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of kalis"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "keris",
      "keris#Malay"
    ],
    [
      "kalis",
      "kalis#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "lang_code": "sh",
      "word": "kris",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A traditional Indonesian, Malaysian, or Filipino sword or dagger having a tapering, usually serpentine blade."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "331110c161a85516308119a909963910c242ed94fcccc77a8b99febb62798f66",
      "rawRecordSha256": "9895833d0578b83789a0f6700994e926b427f966a192d59417014abffcff71aa",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 225349
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for kris →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-a3Jpcw