dwibahasa

Indonesian

Etymology

dwi- (“bi-”) +‎ bahasa (“language”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dwibaˈhasa]
• Rhymes: -sa, -a

Adjective

dwibahasa

1. bilingual
   1. Having the ability to speak two languages.

      Synonym: bilingual

      Hypernym: multibahasa

   2. Spoken or written in two different languages.

      Synonym: bilingual

      Hypernym: multibahasa

Derived terms

• dwibahasawan
• kedwibahasaan

 

Further reading

• “dwibahasa” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Malay

Etymology

Affixation of dwi- (“bi-”) +‎ bahasa (“language”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dwi.ba.ha.sa], [dwi.ba.hə.sa]
  • (Johor-Riau) IPA^(key): [dwi.ba.ha.sə], [dwi.ba.hə.sə]
• Rhymes: -sa, -a
• Hyphenation: dwi‧ba‧ha‧sa

Adjective

dwibahasa (Jawi spelling دويبهاس)

1. Bilingual:
   1. Having the ability to speak two languages.

      pelajar dwibahasa ― bilingual student

   2. Spoken or written in two different languages.

      kamus dwibahasa ― bilingual dictionary

Derived terms

• berdwibahasa (“to use two languages”)
• dwibahasakan (“to make something in two languages”)
• kedwibahasaan (“bilingualism”)

 

Related terms

• ekabahasa (“monolingual”)
• tribahasa (“trilingual”)

 

Further reading

• “dwibahasa” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.