Dhivehi

American  

[dih-vey-hee] / dɪˈveɪ hi /

Also Divehi;

noun

1. an Indic language that is the official language of the Maldives and is also spoken on Minicoy Island.

2. a member of the ethnic group speaking Dhivehi and residing mainly in the Maldives.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Dhivehi or their language.

Etymology

Origin of Dhivehi

First recorded in 1885–90; from Dhivehi Dhivehi, Divehi, a self-designation perhaps meaning “(language of) island dwellers”; possibly from Sanskrit dvipa “island” and vāsin “dweller, inhabitant”

Example Sentences

“We may be small but that doesn’t give you the license to bully us,” Muizzu concluded in English, having made his statement in the native Dhivehi language.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 13, 2024

Mekunu, which means “mullet” in Dhivehi, the language spoken in the Maldives, is on track to potentially be the same strength as a Category 2 hurricane at landfall.

From Washington Times • May 25, 2018

"A free press, an independent judiciary, an auditor general � it took Gayoom nearly three decades to even consider these things," says Moosa, the self-exiled activist who is also editor of the online Dhivehi Observer.

From Time Magazine Archive