Etymology
Pendekar most likely derives from the Indian Malayalam title pannikar, given to masters of northern kalaripayat. It may also be a compound of the Malay words pandai, meaning clever or skilled, and akar meaning root. A popular interpretation of this is "one with knowledge of the foundation". It is related to the Kawi terms upakara which means teacher, and kekarepan which means ethos or ambition. A variant of pendekar is the word pakar which can mean any kind of expert.
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