bunga api

Indonesian

Etymology

Compound of bunga (“flower”) +‎ api (“fire”), probably from

• calque of Chinese 火花 (huǒhuā, “spark”, literally “fire + flower”) or
• calque of Japanese 火花(ひばな) (hibana, “spark”, literally “fire + flower”).

Noun

bunga api

1. spark.

   Synonyms: kilatan api, lelatu

Usage notes

The word is part of false friends between Standard Malay and Indonesian due to shared etymology. The Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore usage can be seen in Malay bunga api.

Related terms

• kembang api

 

Further reading

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

Malay

Etymology

Unknown. Compare Japanese 花火 (hanabi).

Noun

bunga api

1. firework.

Usage notes

The word is part of false friends between Standard Malay and Indonesian due to shared etymology. The Indonesian usage can be seen in Indonesian bunga api.

Further reading

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