silat 2

The origin of the word silat is unknown. Although one theory states that it comes from the Minang word silek,^[2] the etymology of silek itself cannot be traced. Another theory is that it comes from the word silambam, which has long been practiced by the Indian community of Malaysia. Other similar-sounding words have been proposed as the derivation of silat but none have been proven.

Originally the word silat was used as a generic term for martial arts, including systems from outside the region. Some Malay-speakers (especially in Indonesia) still use the word as such, as can be seen in the term ilmu silat (knowledge of silat) which can used for any fighting style. Today, the noun silat has a formidable arsenal of terms used to refer to martial arts in Southeast Asia.^[1] It is usually called pencak silat in Indonesia or silek in the Minangkabau language. Some examples of the word's application in Malaysia and Singapore include seni silat (art of silat) and seni bela-diri (art of self-defence). The term kali or basilat is used by the Malay community of the Philippines who developed a style of fighting with the