▁word ▁sil at ▁is ▁uncertain . ▁The ▁Mal ay ▁term ▁sil at ▁is ▁linked ▁to ▁Min ang k ab au ▁Indones ia ▁word ▁s ile k , ▁thus ▁a ▁Sum at ran ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁is ▁likely . ▁It ▁possibly ▁related ▁to ▁sil amb am , ▁the ▁T amil ▁mart ial ▁art ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁recorded ▁as ▁being ▁pract iced ▁in ▁Malays ia ▁since ▁at ▁least ▁the ▁fif teenth ▁century ▁in ▁Mal ac ca . ▁The ▁pres et ▁forms ▁of ▁sil amb am ▁are ▁known ▁as ▁sil at gu var is ai . ▁According ▁to ▁Malays ian ▁source , ▁the ▁word ▁' sil at ' ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁origin ate ▁from ▁the ▁Arab ic ▁word ▁' sil ah ' ▁( س ِ ل َ ا ح ) ▁meaning ▁' we ap on ' ▁or ▁' sil ah ' ▁( ص ِ ل َ ة ُ ) ▁meaning ▁' connection '. ▁The ▁most ▁popular ▁theory ▁in ▁Malays ia ▁is ▁that ▁it ▁der ives ▁from ▁se kil at ▁meaning ▁" as ▁( fast ▁as ) ▁light ning ." ▁ ▁Other ▁theories ▁derive ▁sil at ▁from ▁the ▁S ansk rit ▁ś ī la ▁meaning ▁mor ality ▁or ▁principle , ▁or ▁the ▁Southern ▁Chinese ▁sa ula ▁which ▁means ▁to ▁push ▁or ▁perform ▁with ▁the ▁hands . ▁The ▁S ansk rit ▁theory ▁is ▁particularly ▁popular ▁in ▁Th ailand , ▁as ▁sil a ▁is ▁an ▁alternate ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁word ▁sil at ▁in ▁that ▁country . ▁Other ▁similar - s ounding ▁words ▁have ▁been ▁proposed , ▁but ▁are