Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/106

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71

second[1] and third persons. Both the words teungku and teuku appear to be originally contractions of tuanku (my lord) which in its full form, with or without the addition of ampōn (always with it in the presence of the person meant) is only applied to the descendants of sultans.

The title of teungku[2] is applied both to the leubè[3] who, even though he be no scholar, observes his religious obligations faithfully, the haji who has performed the pilgrimage to Mekka, the malém[4] who has some knowledge of the kitabs or holy books, the além[5] who has brought his studies to perfection, the ulama[5], who is looked upon as an authority on the subject of religious law and doctrine, and the sayyid (sayét) or descendant of Mohammed. It is also applied to both men and women who give elementary instruction (even if it be only in reciting the Quran) and to the kalis who act as ecclesiastical judges in an ulèëbalangship, as well as to the male "mother of the gampōng" with whom we are now concerned.

This last teungku, when it is necessary to distinguish him from all the others who enjoy the same title, is called the teungku meunasah, using the latter word not so much in the sense of the mens' lodging as that of the chapel of the gampōng. From this it may be seen that this office is connected with religion.

Just as the keuchiʾ devotes himself more especially to maintaining the adat, though the promotion of godly living among his people is also regarded as a part of his duty, so is the upholding of the hukōm (religious law) the special province of the teungku, though a knowledge of and regard for the customary laws is in his case also regarded as indispensable.


  1. In Achehnese it is less common than in many other native languages of the Archipelago, to employ titles for the 2nd person. We can say: ban hukōm Teuku or ban hukōm Teuku ampōn = "as Teuku or Teuku ampōn wills"; but it is equally commonly expressed by ban hukōm dròenen = "by your will". In assenting politely or submissively to what some one has said, the title is simply used by itself teungku! or teuku! or teuku ampōn! etc. = "exactly so!"
  2. Among the Malays the word tungku is only applied to those of royal blood. Sultans are addressed both thus and as tuanku, which is more honorific. The 2nd personal pronoun is never used in addressing persons of distinction; and ampun (= pardon) is never used as an affix to tungku, though it is sometimes prefixed to it as a humble form of address. The form teuku has no equivalent in Malay. (Translator).
  3. Leubè thus means the same as the Sundanese lěbe and the Javanese santri.
  4. From the Arab. muaʿllim = teacher, master.
  5. 5.0 5.1 From the Arab. ʿālim, learned man or pandit. The plural ʿulamā is also used as singular with a slight change of meaning in Achehnese and other languages of the E. Archipelago.