ibu negara

From ibu (“madam”) +‎ negara (“country”).

ibu negara (plural ibu-ibu negara)

1. First Lady: The wife of the chief executive of a nation; especially the wife of the President of a country; or a woman (e.g. a relative) who takes on similar public duties, as when the chief executive is unmarried

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 ibu negara.

• “ibu negara” 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.

Compound of ibu (“the greatest or most significant”) +‎ negara (“country”)

• (Johor-Riau) IPA^(key): [i.bu nə.ɡa.rə]
• (Baku) IPA^(key): [i.bu nə.ɡa.ra]

ibu negara (Jawi spelling ايبو نݢارا, plural ibu-ibu negara)

1. A capital city (of the country).

   Synonym: ibu kota (Indonesian)

   Kuala Lumpur ialah ibu negara Malaysia.

   Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of Malaysia.

• This word is used to refer to the capital of a country, to refer to the capital of a state, the terms ibu kota or ibu negeri instead are used.
• This word is part of false friends between Standard Malay and Indonesian due to shared etymology. The Indonesian usage can be seen in Indonesian ibu negara.

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