CS Knowledge Base

From Vietnamese ba sa.

basa (plural basa)

1. The catfish Pangasius bocourti.

   Synonyms: (Britain) cobbler, river cobbler

• basa fish

• AABs, BSAA, SABA, Saab, Saba, abas, baas, saba, à bas

Acehnese Spelling
EBAYD	basa
Husaini
Jawoe	بهسا

• bahsa (alternative form)

From Sanskrit भाषा (bhāṣā, “language”). Compare Malay bahasa

• IPA^(key): /baˈsa/
• Hyphenation: ba‧sa

basa (Jawoe spelling بهسا)

1. language (a body of words used as a form of communication)

   basa Acèh ― Acehnese language

   balék basa ― to translate

2. manners; etiquette;

   Hana jitupeue basa ― He doesn't know any etiquette

3. sign, gesture

   gopnyan ka geubri basa keujih ― He has given him a sign

4. intention

   Bèk tasom basa, tapeugah ubé buet ― Don't hide your intention, tell the truth.

• “basa”, in Kamus Aceh Indonesia [Acehnese-Indonesian Dictionary] (Seri K; 85), Seri 1. A-L [Volume 1. A-L] (eBook; overall work in Indonesian), Jakarta: Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa, Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan, 1985, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 62
• “basa”, in Kamus Basa Acèh = Kamus Bahasa Aceh = Acehnese-Indonesian English Thesaurus. (Series C; 151), Series C, Volume 151 (eBook; overall work in English and Indonesian), Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, 1999, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 120
• “بهسا”, in Woordenboek der Atjehsche Taal [Dictionary of the Acehnese Language]‎^[1] (overall work in Dutch), Den Haag: 's Gravenhage : Martinus Nijhoff, 1889, page 47

basa

1. inflection of basar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Ultimately from Sanskrit भाषा (bhāṣā).

basa (Sundanese script ᮘᮞ)

1. language

Unknown, probably related to baseh (“to wash, to rinse”), hence Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *basəq (“wet”).

basa (Balinese script ᬩᬲ)

1. herb, spice

From Old Javanese bhāṣa, from Sanskrit भाषा (bhāṣā, “language”).

basa (Balinese script ᬪᬵᬱ)

1. language

• “basa”, in Balinese–Indonesian Dictionary [Kamus Bahasa Bali–Indonesia] (in Balinese), Denpasar, Indonesia: The Linguistic Center of Bali Province [Balai Bahasa Provinsi Bali].

Borrowed from Sanskrit भाषा (bhāṣā, “speech, language”)

basa

1. language

basa (comparative basago, superlative basen, excessive basegi)

1. (Northern, Upper Navarre) wild

basa inan

1. mud

• “basa”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]
• “basa”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005

• basè (Urban Jakarta)
• bahasa (Urban Jakarta)

Ultimately from Sanskrit भाषा (bhāṣā, “speech, language”).

• IPA^(key): /basa/
• Rhymes: -a
• Hyphenation: ba‧sa

basa

1. language

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Balearic, Central) [ˈba.zə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈba.za]

basa f (plural bases)

1. (card games) trick

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

basa

1. inflection of basar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

• “basa”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “basa”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026
• “basa” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “basa”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan)

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *basəq.

• Hyphenation: ba‧sa
• IPA^(key): /baˈsaʔ/ [bɐˈs̪aʔ]

basâ (Badlit spelling ᜊᜐ)

1. wet (of an object: covered with or impregnated with liquid)

   Antonyms: uga, mala

basâ (Badlit spelling ᜊᜐ)

1. to wet; to cover or impregnate with liquid
2. to wash
3. to cook with more water than usual
4. to bathe with something on

Borrowed from Malay baca, from Sanskrit वाचा (vācā).

• Hyphenation: ba‧sa
• IPA^(key): /ˈbasa/ [ˈba.s̪ɐ]

bása (Badlit spelling ᜊᜐ)

1. to read
2. to interpret omens
3. to understand

   Synonym: sabot

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *basəq.

• IPA^(key): /baˈsaʔ/ [baˈsaʔ]
• Hyphenation: ba‧sa

basâ (plural barasa, Basahan spelling ᜊᜐ)

1. (Naga) wet (covered or impregnated with liquid)

   Synonym: dumog

   Antonyms: alang, mara

Borrowed from Malay baca, from Sanskrit वाचा (vācā).

• IPA^(key): /ˈbasa/ [ˈba.sa]
• Hyphenation: ba‧sa

bása (plural barasa, Basahan spelling ᜊᜐ)

1. reading

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

basa

1. to stun

• “basa” in Cornish Dictionary / Gerlyver Kernewek, Akademi Kernewek.

Borrowed from German Bass or French basse. The meaning “prison” was probably based on French au violon (“in prison”, literally “in violin”). The meaning “bottle crate” was probably derived from that, with the bottles being confined in the crate.^[1] First attested in the 17th century.

• IPA^(key): [ˈbasa]
• Rhymes: -asa

basa f (relational adjective basový)

1. (music) bass (musical instrument)
2. (informal) bottle crate (a crate used to transport bottles)

   Synonym: přepravka

3. (informal, expressive) prison (a place of long-term confinement for those convicted of serious crimes)

   Synonyms: vězení, žalář, katr

• “basa”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “basa”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “basa”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

From baso + -a.

• IPA^(key): /ˈbasa/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -asa
• Syllabification: ba‧sa

basa (accusative singular basan, plural basaj, accusative plural basajn)

1. bass, bassy (of, relating to or characteristic of bass)

• “basa”, in Plena Ilustrita Vortaro de Esperanto [Complete Illustrated Dictionary of Esperanto], 2020, →ISBN
• “basa”, in Reta Vortaro [Online Dictionary] (in Esperanto), 1997-2026

• IPA^(key): /ba.za/ ~ /bɑ.za/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

basa

1. third-person singular past historic of baser

• à bas

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *basəq.

basâ (diminutive basâ-basâ)

1. damp, soaked, wet

basâ (diminutive basâ-basâ)

1. to drench; to wet

Borrowed from Malay baca, from Sanskrit वाचा (vācā).

bása (diminutive basá-bása)

1. to read

• pasa

Borrowing from Ottoman Turkish باش (baş, “head, chief, master”), from Proto-Turkic *baĺč (“head”).

• IPA^(key): [ˈbɒʃɒ]
• Hyphenation: ba‧sa
• Rhymes: -ʃɒ

basa (plural basák)

1. pasha

• basa in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.
• basa in Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published a–ez as of 2026).

Borrowed from French bas, Italian basso and Spanish bajo, all from Late Latin bassus.

• IPA^(key): /ˈba.sa/

basa

1. low

• basigar (“to make low, lower, shorten the height of”)

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *basəq.

• Hyphenation: ba‧sá
• IPA^(key): /baˈsa/, [bɐˈsa]

basá (Kur-itan spelling ᜊᜐ)

1. wet (of an object: covered with or impregnated with liquid)

basá (Kur-itan spelling ᜊᜐ)

1. soaking

Borrowed from Malay baca, from Sanskrit वाचा (vācā).

• Hyphenation: bá‧sa
• IPA^(key): /ˈbasa/

bása (Kur-itan spelling ᜊᜐ)

1. reading
2. study

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈbasa/ [ˈba.sa]
• Rhymes: -asa
• Syllabification: ba‧sa

Borrowed from Dutch base, from French base, from Latin basis, from Ancient Greek βάσις (básis). Doublet of basis.

basa (plural basa-basa)

1. (chemistry) base (chemical compound that will neutralize an acid)

   Synonym: alkali

2. (biochemistry) base (nucleobase in the context of DNA or RNA)

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

basa (plural basa-basa)

1. (dialect: Boing) a group of sago trees growing in one place
2. (dialect: Seram) common sago plantation in Seram

basa (plural basa-basa)

1. (colloquial, uncommon) alternative form of bahasa (“language”)

• “basa”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

• IPA^(key): [ˈbˠɑsˠə], [ˈbˠasˠə]

basa f

1. plural of bas

• IPA^(key): /ˈba.za/
• Rhymes: -aza
• Hyphenation: bà‧sa

basa

1. inflection of basare:
   1. third-person singular present
   2. second-person singular imperative

• Saba

basa

1. (Banawá) to put a stick up high

• 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.

basa

1. (Indonesian) romanization of ꦧꦱ

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *basəq.

• IPA^(key): /bəˈsaʔ/ [bəˈsaʔ]
• Hyphenation: ba‧sâ

basâ

1. wet (of an object: covered with or impregnated with liquid)

Borrowed from Malay baca, from Sanskrit वाचा (vācā).

• IPA^(key): /ˈbasəʔ/ [ˈba.səʔ]
• Hyphenation: ba‧sa

básâ

1. reading
2. act of reading

basa m (plural [please provide])

1. base

basa

1. word

Perhaps related to Proto-Kuki-Chin *ɓaal

basa

1. taro (Colocasia esculenta)

• IPA^(key): /ˈbasa/, [ˈɓa.sa]
• Hyphenation: ba‧sa

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *basəq (“wet”).

basa (Lontara spelling ᨅᨔ or 𑻤𑻰)

1. wet; damp; watery

   Eroki aʼjeʼneʼ natea basa

   He wants to bathe but does not want to get wet (a traditional proverb describing someone who wants to do something without taking any risks).

2. (euphemistic) wounded; bleeding (used specifically when blood flows from an injury)

   Basai karaenga ― The prince / lord is wounded.

Borrowed from Sanskrit भाषा (bhāṣā, “speech, language”).

basa (Lontara spelling ᨅᨔ or 𑻤𑻰, definite basaya)

1. language; speech

   Basa Balandaya sukkaraki

   The Dutch language is difficult.

• Cense, A. A. (1979), Makassaars-Nederlands woordenboek [Makasar-Dutch dictionary], 's-Gravenhage: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, pages 82-83

basa

1. romanization of ᠪᠠᠰᠠ

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *basəq.

basa

1. to wet

Borrowed from Malay baca.

basa

1. to read

Borrowing from Sanskrit भाषा (bhāṣā, “speech, language”)

basa

1. language

• kabasa

• IPA^(key): /ba.sa/

basa

1. first/second-person singular preterite/imperfect indicative of is

• IPA^(key): /ba.sa/
• Rhymes: -sa
• Homophones: baśa, bhāṣa
• Hyphenation: ba‧sa

basa

1. alternative spelling of bhāṣa (“speech; language; poem”)
2. alternative spelling of waśa (“power, force; dominion”)

• "basa" in P.J. Zoetmulder with the collaboration of S.O. Robson, Old Javanese-English Dictionary. 's-Gravenhage: M. Nijhoff, 1982.

From Proto-Bantu *-bàkia.

-basa

1. to light, to kindle

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Deverbal from basar.

basa f (plural basas)

1. base

   Synonym: base

basa

1. inflection of basar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

• “basa”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Ultimately from Sanskrit भाषा (bhāṣā).

basa (Sundanese script ᮘᮞ)

1. language

basa (Sundanese script ᮘᮞ)

1. when

From Proto-Bantu *-bàkia.

-basa

1. to light, to kindle

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

From bas (leader of the daily, actual work) + -a to construct the verb.

basa (present basar, preterite basade, supine basat, imperative basa)

1. (dated) to lead, and direct, the daily work

Borrowed from Malay baca, borrowed from Sanskrit वाचा (vācā), instrumental singular of वाच् (vāc), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *wā́kš, from Proto-Indo-European *wṓkʷs, from *wekʷ-. Doublet of boses.

• (Standard Tagalog)
  • IPA^(key): /ˈbasa/ [ˈbaː.sɐ] (noun)
    • Rhymes: -asa
  • IPA^(key): /baˈsa/ [bɐˈsa] (adjective)
    • Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: ba‧sa

basa (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜐ)

1. reading
2. act of reading

basá (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜐ)

1. fond of reading

   Synonyms: palabasa, mapagbasa

2. already read

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *basəq, from Proto-Austronesian *basəq. Compare Malay basah (“wet”).

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /baˈsaʔ/ [bɐˈsaʔ]
• Rhymes: -aʔ
• Syllabification: ba‧sa

basâ (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜐ)

1. wet

   Antonym: tuyo

Possibly borrowed from Early Modern Spanish basa (“base; pedestal”), deverbal from basar, from base + -ar.

• (Standard Tagalog)
  • IPA^(key): /ˈbasa/ [ˈbaː.sɐ]
    • Rhymes: -asa
  • IPA^(key): /ˈbasaʔ/ [ˈbaː.sɐʔ] (obsolete)
• Syllabification: ba‧sa

basa (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜐ) (obsolete)

1. gravestone; tombstone

   Synonyms: lapida, (obsolete) batong-lapis

• “basa”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018
• Noceda, Fr. Juan José de; Sanlucar, Fr. Pedro de (1860), Vocabulario de la lengua tagala, compuesto por varios religiosos doctos y graves, y coordinado por…, ultimamente aumentado y corregido por varios religiosos de la Orden de Agustinos calzados. (overall work in Spanish and Classical Tagalog), Manila: Ramírez y Giraudier., page 41
• San Buena Ventura, Fr. Pedro de (1613), Vocabulario de lengua tagala. El romance castellano puesto primero. Primera, y segunda parte.‎^[2] (overall work in Early Modern Spanish and Classical Tagalog), as directed by Gov. Gen. Juan de Silva, Pila, Laguna: La noble Villa de Pila, por Tomás Pinpin y Domingo Loag.
  • page 386: “Leer) Baſa (pp) en libro o en carta”
  • page 391: “Limpiarſe) Baſa (pc) L. vno quando ſe prouee”
  • page 393: “Loſa) Baſa (pp) C. M. o piedra de ſepulcro, baſang bato, loſa para ſepulcro”
  • page 428: “Mojar) Baſa (pc) cualquier coſa jeneralmente”
  • page 428: “Mojarſe) Baſa (pc) con la lluuia o con otra agua”
  • page 482: “Piedra) Baſa (pp) C. o lauda de ſepulcro, baſang bato, piedra o loſa anſi”

• saba, saab

basa

1. feminine singular of baso

From Proto-Bantu *-bàkia.

-basa

1. (transitive) to light, to kindle

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

From Proto-Bantu *-bàkia.

-basa

1. (transitive) to light, to kindle
2. (transitive) to stir up, to enflame (trouble)
3. (transitive) to strike hard

• C. M. Doke; B. W. Vilakazi (1972), “ɓasa”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “ɓasa (7.4)”