mahasiswa

Indonesian

Etymology

Affixed maha- +‎ siswa, from Malay mahasiswa, from Sanskrit महाशिष्य (mahāśiṣya). Compare to Chinese 大學生／大学生 (“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)

1. (masculine or neuter) university student

Related terms

• siswa

Further reading

• “mahasiswa” 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 Sanskrit महाशिष्य (mahāśiṣya). Equivalent to maha- +‎ siswa.

Noun

mahasiswa (Jawi spelling مهاسيسوا, plural mahasiswa-mahasiswa, informal 1st possessive mahasiswaku, 2nd possessive mahasiswamu, 3rd possessive mahasiswanya)

1. university student

Related terms

• siswa
• mahasiswi

Further reading

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