Bangke

Usage examples

• Cai bangke, dija nyen cai kemu?
  You worthless wretch, where the hell do you think you're going?

Etymology

From the Balinese and Old Javanese bangké, meaning "corpse" or "carcass." The word is cognate with Malay/Indonesian bangkai (rotting carcass). Its use as a severe personal insult derives from the dehumanising force of comparing a living person to a dead body, a rhetorical strategy found across Austronesian languages.

Cultural notes

In Balinese culture, where cremation rites and respect for the dead carry profound religious significance within Balinese Hinduism, comparing a living person to a corpse (bangke) is considered deeply offensive. The insult strips the target of personhood and spiritual dignity. It functions as an all-purpose strong insult rather than being gender-specific, and its closest English equivalent in force is roughly "you piece of garbage" or "you worthless wretch."

Same meaning, other languages

Accuracy

15% of 13 voters say this translation is accurate.