Jump To:

• pontianak
  pontianak

  noun

  jelutong.
• Pontianak
  Pontianak

  noun

  a seaport on W Kalimantan (Borneo), in central Indonesia.

pontianak

¹ American  

[pon-tee-ah-nahk] / ˌpɒn tiˈɑ nɑk /

noun

1. jelutong.

---

Pontianak ² American  

[pon-tee-ah-nahk] / ˌpɒn tiˈɑ nɑk /

noun

1. a seaport on W Kalimantan (Borneo), in central Indonesia.

---

Pontianak ¹ British  

/ ˌpɒntɪˈɑːnæk /

noun

1. a port in Indonesia, on W coast of Borneo almost exactly on the equator. Pop: 464 534 (2000)

---

pontianak ² British  

/ ˌpɒntɪˈɑːnæk /

noun

1. (in Malay folklore) a female vampire; the ghost of a woman who has died in childbirth

---

Etymology

Origin of pontianak

First recorded in 1910–15; originally, jelutong from the region around Pontianak

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pontianak Pontianak

If it’s difficult to get a sense of the fears that initially inspired tales of the toyol or the pontianak, Folklore reminds us that ancient fears don’t necessarily have modern solutions.

From Slate ● Feb. 1, 2019

After bouncing around various sites in Indonesia, in 2016 I found myself in Pontianak, a prison camp for asylum seekers.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2023

Similar protests occurred in other cities, including Bandung, Yogyakarta, Makassar and Pontianak.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 11, 2022

When Teo won a fellowship to work on her manuscript as part of her MFA programme, her first idea was “an epic Pontianak novel”, narrated by the monster.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 19, 2018

Agus Setiadji is the 33-year-old leader of the United Malay People, one of the main groups behind the protest in Pontianak.

From Economist ● Jul. 20, 2017

She adventured among the Dyaks, and journeyed westward to Pontianak, and the diamond mines of Landak. 

From The Story of Ida Pfeiffer and Her Travels in Many Lands by Anonymous