bunga api

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”).

bunga api

1. spark.

   Synonyms: kilatan api, lelatu

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.

• “bunga api” 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.

Unknown. Compare Japanese 花火 (hanabi).

bunga api

1. firework.

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.

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