benua

Baba Malay

Etymology

From Malay benua, from Old Malay vanua, from Proto-Malayic *bənua, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *banua, from Proto-Austronesian *banua.

Adjective

benua

  1. awed

Indonesian

Etymology

From Malay benua, from Old Malay vanua, from Proto-Malayic *bənua, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *banua, from Proto-Austronesian *banua. Doublet of banua and wanua.

Pronunciation

  • (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /bəˈnua/ [bəˈnu.a]
  • Audio:(file)
  • Rhymes: -a
  • Syllabification: be‧nu‧a

Noun

bênua (plural benua-benua)

  1. (geography) continent
    Synonyms: kontinen, tanah raya
  2. (archaic) land, country
    Synonyms: kerajaan, negeri, tanah

Further reading

Malay

Etymology

From Proto-Malayic *bənua, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *banua, from Proto-Austronesian *banua. Cognate with Iban menua and Maori whenua.

First attested in the Kedukan Bukit inscription, 683 AD, as Old Malay [script needed] (vanua).

Pronunciation

  • (Baku) IPA(key): /bəˈnwa/ [bəˈnwa]
    • Rhymes: -a
  • (Johor-Riau) IPA(key): /ˈbənwə/ [ˈbə.nwə]
    • Rhymes: -ənwə
  • Hyphenation: be‧nua

Noun

benua (Jawi spelling بنوا, plural benua-benua)

  1. (geography) A continent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface).
    Synonym: tanah raya (rare)
    benua Afrikathe African continent
  2. (Classical Malay) A land, state or country.
    Synonyms: tanah, negara, negeri
    benua Chinathe country of China

Affixations

Descendants

  • > Baba Malay: benua (inherited)
  • > Indonesian: benua (inherited)

Further reading

Nias

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *banua (inhabited land), from Proto-Austronesian *banua. Doublet of banua.

Noun

benua (mutated form mbenua)

  1. fallow (uncultivated land)

References

  • Sundermann, Heinrich. 1905. Niassisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Moers: Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen, p. 33.