kembang api

Indonesian

Etymology

Compound of kembang (“flower”) +‎ api (“fire”), literally “fire flower”, from

• Calque from Chinese 花火 (“fireworks”, literally “flower fire”) or
• Calque from Japanese 花火(はなび) (hanabi, “fireworks”, literally “flower fire”).

Noun

kembang api

1. firework.

Related terms

• bunga api

 

Further reading

• “kembang 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.

Malay

Etymology

Compound of kembang (“flower”) +‎ api (“fire”), literally “fire flower”, from

• calque from Chinese 花火 (“fireworks”, literally “flower fire”), or
• calque from Japanese 花火(はなび) (hanabi, “fireworks”, literally “flower fire”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kəm.baŋ a.pi]

Noun

kembang api (Jawi spelling کمبڠ اڤي, plural kembang-kembang api, informal 1st possessive kembang apiku, 2nd possessive kembang apimu, 3rd possessive kembang apinya)

1. (rare) A firework.

   Synonym: bunga api

Further reading

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