<![CDATA[Long-term language contact not only causes the transfer of lexical elements from one language to another but also allows for a change in meaning once the element is integrated into the receiving language system. This study aims to identify and describe the change in the meaning of words that are thought to come from Arabic in the Kei language using Stephen Ullmann's theory of change in meaning. The study used a qualitative descriptive approach with data in the form of 40 entries suspected to be Arabic language absorption compiled from the Kei–Indonesia Dictionary by Travis (1998) and the Kei–Indonesian–Mandarin-English Dictionary by Felix Ma (2012). The analysis was carried out through a comparison between the lexical meaning of the source form in Arabic and the meaning of the absorption form in the Kei language. The data were then classified based on the semantic relationship between the meaning of the source and the meaning of the absorption results, especially the expansion of meaning, the narrowing of meaning, and the shift of meaning, considering the semantic association mechanism proposed by Ullmann. The results of the analysis show that the absorption of Arabic in the Kei language does not entirely maintain the meaning of the source language. Some forms retain meanings that are relatively close to Arabic, while some forms undergo a strong semantic restructuring. These changes can be seen in the postulates of 'parables', halal 'forgiving', haram 'orphans/fatherless', suban 'oath', repentance 'mistakes', and the ummah 'people’. The findings show that the integration of Arabic elements into the Kei language is not just a process of borrowing forms, but a process of semantic adaptation related to the communicative needs as well as the social and cultural context of the Kei-speaking community.]]>
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