Etymology

penghulu

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Today it means: A local chief or governor in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia. Full definition →

First used 18th c.
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The story

Unadapted borrowing from Malay penghulu.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 18th c. A local chief or governor in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.