mahasiswa
Indonesian
Alternative forms
Etymology
Inherited from Malay mahasiswa, from Sanskrit महाशिष्य (mahāśiṣya). By surface analysis, maha- (“large, great”) + siswa (“student”). Compare Chinese 大學生 / 大学生 (dàxuéshēng, “university student”, literally “great student”).
Pronunciation
- (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /mahaˈsiswa/ [ma.haˈsis.wa]
- Rhymes: -iswa
- Syllabification: ma‧ha‧sis‧wa
Noun
mahasiswa (feminine mahasiswi)
- (masculine or neuter) university student
Related terms
Further reading
- “mahasiswa”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016
Malay
Etymology
From Sanskrit महाशिष्य (mahāśiṣya). Equivalent to maha- + siswa.
Noun
mahasiswa (Jawi spelling مهاسيسوا, plural mahasiswa-mahasiswa)
Related terms
Further reading
- “mahasiswa”, in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu [Malay Literary Reference Centre] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017