Editing Silat Melayu (section)

==Etymology==
Owing to lack of written records, the origin of the word 'silat' remains uncertain. The use of the term 'silat' in referring to Malay martial arts was somewhat absent from contemporary writings from the 15th to 16th centuries. The ''[[Hikayat Hang Tuah]]'' that was written by the end of the 17th century, with warrior stories form its main repertoire, does not employ the word ‘silat’, but uses other terms like ''ilmu perang'' ('military knowledge'), ''ilmu hulubalang'' ('knowledge of [[Hulubalang]]'), ''ilmu prajurit'' ('knowledge of soldiers’), in referring to the Malay martial arts.<ref name="Anuar Abd Wahab 2008 15">{{harvnb|Anuar Abd Wahab|2008|p=15}}</ref>

The earliest known mention of ‘silat’ in ''Misa Melayu'', written sometimes between 1720 and 1786, was rather generic in nature and not specifically referring to the Malay martial arts. It was used as a generic term in describing the movements of [[kuntao]] as performed by Chinese folks.<ref name="Raja Chulan 1991 10">{{harvnb|Raja Chulan|1991|p=10}}</ref> In this regard, the word 'silat' is thought to originate from the composite of two words 'si' and 'elat'. 'Si' is a Malay [[article (grammar)|article]] used with [[adjective]]s to describe people, and normally found in names and nicknames. While 'elat' is a verb means 'to trick', 'to confuse' or 'to deceive'. The derivative transitive verb 'menyilat' or 'menyilap' carries the meaning of an action to evade, to trick or to take an assault, together with a counterattack.<ref>{{harvnb|Tuan Ismail Tuan Soh|1991|p=16}}</ref> This implies that the term 'silat' is a generic term in origin, referring to any forms of martial arts that involve such movements, before it began to specifically refers to Malay martial arts. In the 19th century literary texts, reference to 'silat' as a specific martial art of Malay people began to appear, for example in ''Hikayat Pahang'',<ref name="Abd. Rahman Ismail 2008 112">{{harvnb|Abd. Rahman Ismail|2008|p=112}}</ref> ''[[Hikayat Awang Sulung Merah Muda]]'',<ref name="Abd. Rahman Ismail 2008 48">{{harvnb|Abd. Rahman Ismail|2008|p=48}}</ref> Hikayat Malim Deman<ref name="Pawang Ana 1998 64">{{harvnb|Pawang Ana|Raja Ali Haji|1998|p=64}}</ref> and many others.

Alternative views from oral literature point the word to Arabic origin. 'Silat' is said to derive from the Arabic word 'silah' (سِلَاح) meaning 'weapon'<ref>{{harvnb|Ahmad Zuhairi Abdul Halim|Hariza Mohd Yusof|Nizamiah Muhd Nor|1999|p=181}}</ref> or 'silah' (صِلَةُ) meaning 'connection'.<ref>{{harvnb|Department of Heritage Malaysia|2018|pp=3}}</ref>  Over the time, the word is believed to has been malayised into 'Silat' in similar way the word ''[[karamah (disambiguation)|karamah]]'' (كرامة) was malayised into ''[[Datuk Keramat|keramat]]'' (کرامت) ('sacred') and the word '[[hikmah]]' (حكمة) was malayised into ''hikmat'' (حکمت) ('supernatural power'). This etymological root suggests that Silat is philosophically based on the teaching of Islam,<ref>{{harvnb|Paetzold|Mason|2016|p=160}}</ref> which over the centuries, have become the source of a [[Malayness|Malay identity]]. The use of the Arabic word serves as a tool in elaborating the philosophy of both Malay culture and art itself. The 'connection' in the etymology suggests that Silat covers aspects in the relationship between humans, between humans and their enemies, and between human and nature, and ultimately attaining the spirituality, that is the relationship between human and their creator.<ref>{{harvnb|Department of Heritage Malaysia|2018|pp=2–3}}</ref>

Other etymological root suggests that the word is said to derive from 'silap' (to make a mistake). This means that using the opponent's strength against them—in their strength lies their weakness. This strength could be physical or psychological. Others suggested that it originated from the word ''sekilat'' meaning "as fast as lightning" derived from ''kilat'' (lightning); ''sila'' (as in silsilah or chain) indicating the transmission of Silat from guru to murid (disciple of Silat or other religious or secular knowledge); and more mysteriously, from the Arabic ''[[salah|solat]]'' (prayer), although linguists regard solat as an unlikely candidate for the etymological root of 'Silat'. Other contenders for the etymological root of 'Silat' include the '[[Orang Seletar|Orang Selat]]' (an indigenous Malay people of Singapore), and selat as in ''Selat Melaka'' (the [[Straits of Malacca]]).<ref name="Farrer 2009 29">{{harvnb|Farrer|2009|p=29}}</ref> English-language publications are sometimes mistakenly refer to Silat Melayu as ''bersilat'' but this is actually a verb form of the noun Silat, literally meaning "to perform Silat".