Inherited from Malay bentara (“herald; usher”), probably from Javanese ꦧꦼꦤ꧀ꦢꦫ (bendara, “noble”). Doublet of bendahara, bendahari, bendara, bendari, bendoro, and bentara.

• IPA^(key): /bənˈta.ra/, [bən̪ˈt̪a.ra]
• Rhymes: -ra
• Hyphenation: bên‧ta‧ra

bentara (plural bentara-bentara)

1. (archaic) herald: a messenger, especially one bringing important news

• “bentara”, 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