Bhāṣā (or one of its derived forms) is the word for "language" in many South and Southeast Asian languages, which derives from the Sanskrit word meaning "speech" or "spoken language". In transliteration from Sanskrit or Pali, bhasa may also be spelled bhasa, basa, or phasa.
The word Bahasa in English is sometimes used to refer specifically to the Malay language (including Indonesian and Malaysian standards), this standalone usage however is considered incorrect within the language:"Bahasa Indonesia: The Indonesian Language," George Quinn, Australian National University when referring to other languages, a non-capitalized bahasa ("language") is used preceding a toponym or ethnonym (e.g. bahasa Ingg[e]ris "English", bahasa Italia "Italian"). However, bahasa could also be expanded to refer to any lect from one of a particular region (bahasa daerah) to one only used personally (idiolect, bahasa aku).
References
External links Rules on the use of Languages (bhāṣā), Chapter XVIII of the Nāṭyaśāstra