Borrowing, ultimately from language__Sanskrit. This comparison is remarkable for at least two reasons: 1) although it seems clearly to be a language__Sanskrit loan which acquired much of its attested distribution as a result of borrowing from language__Malay, it originally referred to animal (particularly snake) venom, a referent for which a native term would normally be expected, 2) the word is very widespread in the Philippines and both western and eastern Indonesia, and has acquired a variety of secondary meanings including that of general force or power, skill, knowledge and ability. In language__Malay and some other languages (e.g. language__Rembong) this abstraction and generalization of the original concrete nominal sense has gone even further, leading to the use of bisa as an auxiliary verb meaning 'can, be able'.
| WMP | ||
| Kapampangan | bísaʔ | want to |
| Tagalog | bísaʔ | efficacy, potency; force |
| Aklanon | bísa | effect, result |
| Maranao | bisa | poison, venom |
| Mansaka | bisaʔ | snake venom; stingray venom |
| Tiruray | bisa | poisonous; a poison |
| Acehnese | bisa | poison, venom (esp. of animals) |
| Kenyah | bisa | poisonous |
| Kelabit | bisaʔ | great, fantastic, terrific |
| Sangir | bisa | venom; venomous |
| Dairi-Pakpak Batak | em-bisa | strong |
| bisa | force, power | |
| Simalur | biso | poison, poisonous |
| fisa | poison | |
| ma-misa-e | to poison | |
| Toba Batak | bisa | animal poison; also used of poisonous animals such as snakes, caterpillars, scorpions, insects, as well as the externally applied poison prepared by a shaman (in contrast with , which must be imbibed) |
| Karo Batak | bisa | poison, poisonous (as a snake) |
| Iban | bisa | strong, powerful, effective; poisonous (as a snake); fierce (as a hornet's sting) |
| Malay | bisa | blood-poison; anything that gives a septic wound; venomous |
| bisa | venomous; ability to do, can | |
| Nias | bisa | be able to do something, know how to do |
| Mongondow | mo-bisa | venomous |
| bisa | power (both good and evil) | |
| Gorontalo | bisa | animal venom |
| Banggai | bisa | supernaturally powerful |
| Bare'e | bisa | clever; very wealthy; possess secret power |
| Rejang | bisey | insect bite, poison injected through a wound |
| Buginese | bisa | proved by experience, tried |
| bisa bisa | saintly, working miracles | |
| Wolio | bisa | sorcerer, magician, healer, medicine man or woman; be efficacious, effective poison; poisonous |
| Makassarese | bisa | have a powerful effect (as a medication) |
| Malay (Jakarta) | bisa | venomous; ability to do, can |
| Sundanese | bisa | can, able to, smart, knowledgeable, capable, experienced, have an understanding of, knowledgeable |
| Old Javanese | biṣa | venomous |
| a-wiṣa | poisonous | |
| a-miṣa | be powerful?, be poisonous? | |
| wiṣa | poison | |
| ka-bisa-n | skill, ability | |
| b-in-isa | skilled, skilful | |
| Javanese | bisa | can, be able, know how to |
| m-isa | to poison | |
| wisa | poison, venom | |
| Balinese | bisa | be able because one has knowledge or skill |
| Sasak | be-bisa | all poisonous things |
| bisa | poisonous | |
| CMP | ||
| Buruese | bisa-n | potency, strength (of a potient) |
| bisa | potent (as magic, a weapon); can, may | |
| Asilulu | bisa | can; poison, |
| Rembong | bisa | can, able |
| Bimanese | βisa | having magical power; clever |
| Sika | bisa | wise, learned |
| SHWNG | ||
| Buli | bisa | venomous (as a snake) |