Dhivehi

[ dih-vey-hee ]

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.

adjective

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Dhivehi¹

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”