sekali

• sakali

Semantic shift from Malay sekali (“once”).

• (Singapore) IPA^(key): /ˈs(ə)kɑli/, [ˈska(ː)˧.li˦]

• Audio (US):

  (file)

sekali (not comparable)

1. (Singlish) What if, lest (something problematic or unanticipated happens)

   Synonym: (Manglish, Singlish) later

   • 2004, Bug [pseudonym], soc.culture.singapore (Usenet):

     […] the instruction all says to deep fry them, so dared not buy - sekali raw dough, how to eat?

   • 2004 January 2, Colin Goh, The Sunday Times, Singapore, page L12:

     […] make sure he’s activated the right ringtone, sekali you, ahem, raise the wrong hopes.

2. (Singlish, at the beginning of a clause) Suddenly and unexpectedly.

• somemore

Inherited from Malay sekali. Equivalent to From se- +‎ kali.

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /səˈkali/ [səˈka.li]
• Syllabification: se‧ka‧li

sêkali

1. once

   Aku pergi ke sana sebulan sekali.

   I go there once a month

2. very

   Synonym: sangat

   Pelajaran itu sulit sekali.

   The subject is very difficult.

• “sekali”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Affixation of se- +‎ kali (“time”).

• (schwa-variety, /a/-variety, Baku, Riau-Lingga) IPA^(key): /səˈkali/ [səˈka.li]
• Rhymes: -ali
• Hyphenation: se‧ka‧li

sĕkali (Jawi spelling سکالي)

1. once

   Ambil ubat ini sehari sekali sehingga sembuh.

   Take this medicine once a day until you're cured.

2. very

   Indah sekali pemandangan di sini.

   What a beautiful view we have here.

• (once): satu kali
• (very): amat, sangat, sungguh

• > Indonesian: sekali (inherited)
• → English: sekali

• begitu

• "sekali" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017