Indonesian word baru comes from Proto-Austronesian *(ma-)baqəʀuh (New (recently made or created).)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *(ma-)baqəʀuh | Proto-Austronesian (map-pro) | New (recently made or created). |
| *(ma-)baqəʀu | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian (poz-pro) | New (recently made or created). |
| *baqəʀu | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian (poz-pro) | |
| *baharu | Proto-Malayic (poz-mly-pro) | New (recently made or created). |
| baru | Malay (macrolanguage) (msa) | Just (recently) New (recently made or created) Cottonwood (Talipariti tiliaceum) (syn. Hibiscus tiliaceus). |
| baru | Indonesian (ind) | Near perfect aspect i. e. the action or situation has just been completed. |