dahulu

Indonesian

Alternative forms

• dh, dh., d.h.
• d/h (proscribed)

Etymology

From Malay dahulu. From Proto-Austronesian *zulu (“earlier, in advance”). Doublet of dulu.

Adverb

dahulu

1. before, earlier, previously

   Itu dahulu, ini sekarang.

   That was before, this is now.

Adjective

dahulu

1. early, former, previous

Further reading

• “dahulu” 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

From Proto-Austronesian *zulu (“earlier, in advance”). Doublet of dulu.

Compare Malay hulu (“head, upstream”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dahulu/
• Rhymes: -ahulu, -hulu, -lu
• Rhymes: -u

Adverb

dahulu (Jawi spelling دهولو)

1. before, earlier, previously

Adjective

dahulu (Jawi spelling دهولو)

1. early, former, previous

Descendants

• Indonesian: dahulu

Further reading

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