# ber-
## Indonesian
### Etymology

Inherited from Malay ber-, from Classical Malay ber-, from Old Malay bar-, denasalised from earlier Old Malay mar- (compare Old Malay ni- → di-), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *maR-, from Proto-Austronesian *maʀ-. Cognate with Tagalog mag-, Cebuano mag-, Simalungun Batak mar-, Toba Batak mar-.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bər/

### Prefix

ber- (verb base)
* (intransitive) -ing, used to form the continuative aspect of some verbs
    ‎ber- + ‎pikir (“to think”) → ‎berpikir (“thinking”)
    ‎ber- + ‎renang (“to swim”) → ‎berenang (“swimming”)
* (intransitive) used to form dynamic verb of some transitive verbs
    ‎ber- + ‎ubah (“to change”) → ‎berubah (“to change (to become something different)”)
* (intransitive, reflexive) to do something to the self
    ‎ber- + ‎hias (“dressing”) → ‎berhias (“self-dressing”)
ber- (noun base)
* to have; -ed, -d
    ‎ber- + ‎atap (“roof”) → ‎beratap (“roofed”)
    ‎ber- + ‎baju (“clothes”) → ‎berbaju (“clothed”)
    ‎ber- + ‎adik (“younger sibling”) → ‎beradik (“profess as someone younger sibling”)
* to produce [base]
    ‎ber- + ‎telur (“egg”) → ‎bertelur (“to produce egg”)
* to use [base], to wear [base], to travel by [base]
    ‎ber- + ‎sepatu (“shoes”) → ‎bersepatu (“to wear shoes”)
* to work, to engage in the [base]
    ‎ber- + ‎tani (“farming”) → ‎bertani (“to farm”)
* (intransitive, reciprocal) to do [base] in reciprocal situation
    ‎ber- + ‎tinju (“boxing, hit”) → ‎bertinju (“to hit each other”)
    ‎ber- + ‎teman (“friend”) → ‎berteman (“to be friends with each other”)
* (intransitive) duration and length
    ‎ber- + ‎jam (“hour”) → ‎berjam-jam (“hours”)
    ‎ber- + ‎meter (“metre”) → ‎bermeter-meter (“metres”)
ber- (adjective base)
* (intransitive, stative) used to form stative verbs
    ‎ber- + ‎gembira (“happy”) → ‎bergembira (“to be in happiness (to rejoice)”)
    ‎ber- + ‎sedih (“sad”) → ‎bersedih (“to be in sadness”)
ber- (numeral base)
* multiple
    ‎ber- + ‎tiga (“three”) → ‎bertiga (“triple”)
* together in a group of [base]
    ‎ber- + ‎tiga (“three”) → ‎bertiga (“in group of three”)
* (acting) in a number of groups of [base] at a time
    ‎ber- + ‎tiga (“three”) → ‎bertiga-tiga (“three at a time, three by three”)

#### Alternative forms

* be- used in word with initial /r/ or word with final /-ər.C-/ in first syllable
* bel- only used in the word ajar and unjur

#### Derived terms

* ber- -an
* ber- -kan

### Further reading

* “ber-” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

## Malay
### Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *maR-.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bər/

### Prefix

ber- (verb base)
* (intransitive) -ing, used to form the continuative aspect of some verbs
    ‎ber- + ‎fikir (“to think”) → ‎berfikir (“thinking”)
    ‎ber- + ‎renang (“to swim”) → ‎berenang (“swimming”)
* (intransitive) used to form dynamic verb of some transitive verbs
    ‎ber- + ‎ubah (“to change”) → ‎berubah (“to change (to become something different)”)
* (intransitive, reflexive) to do something to the self.
    ‎ber- + ‎hias (“dressing”) → ‎berhias (“self-dressing”)
* (intransitive) alternative form of di-.
    ‎ber- + ‎terima (“to accept”) → ‎berterima (“to be accepted”)
ber- (noun base)
* to have; -ed, -d
    ‎ber- + ‎atap (“roof”) → ‎beratap (“roofed”)
    ‎ber- + ‎baju (“clothes”) → ‎berbaju (“clothed”)
    ‎ber- + ‎adik (“younger sibling”) → ‎beradik (“profess as someone younger sibling”)
* to produce [base]
    ‎ber- + ‎telur (“egg”) → ‎bertelur (“to produce egg”)
* to use [base], to wear [base], to travel by [base]
    ‎ber- + ‎kasut (“shoes”) → ‎berkasut (“to wear shoes”)
* to work, to engage in the [base].
    ‎ber- + ‎tani (“farming”) → ‎bertani (“to farm”)
* (intransitive, reciprocal) to do [base] in reciprocal situation.
    ‎ber- + ‎lawan (“fighting”) → ‎berlawan (“to fight each other”)
    ‎ber- + ‎kawan (“friend”) → ‎berkawan (“to be friends with each other”)
ber- (adjective base)
* (intransitive, stative) used to form stative verbs
    ‎ber- + ‎gembira (“happy”) → ‎bergembira (“to be in happiness (to rejoice)”)
    ‎ber- + ‎sedih (“sad”) → ‎bersedih (“to be in sadness”)
ber- (numeral base)
* multiple
    ‎ber- + ‎tiga (“three”) → ‎bertiga (“triple”)

#### Alternative forms

* be- used in words with initial /r/ in the first syllable and kerja
* bel- only used in the words ajar and unjur

#### Derived terms

* ber- -an
* ber- -kan

#### Descendants

* Indonesian: ber-
* North Moluccan Malay: ba-
* → Tausug: bal-

### Further reading

* “ber-” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.