Buginese

[ buhg-uh-neez, -nees ]

noun

, plural Bug·i·nese

1. a member of a Muslim people inhabiting the southern part of Sulawesi.
2. the Austronesian language spoken by these people.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Buginese¹

< Dutch Boeginees (with -nees on the model of Balinees, Javanees, etc.) < Malay Bugis, probably originally the Makassarese name of this ethnic group

Example Sentences

The commercial activity of the Buginese causes their language to be fairly widely spoken—little, however, by Europeans.

From Project Gutenberg