Malaysian Malay

{{Short description|Standardized variety of Malay language}} {{About|the official language of Malaysia|an overview of all languages used in Malaysia|Languages of Malaysia|ethnic Malays in Malaysia|Malaysian Malays}} {{Use British English|date=January 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}} {{Infobox language | name = Malaysian Malay | nativename = {{lang|ms|Bahasa Melayu Malaysia}} {{Script/Arabic|بهاس ملايو مليسيا}} {{lang|ms|Bahasa Malaysia}} {{Script/Arabic|بهاس مليسيا}} | altname = Standard Malay {{lang|ms|Bahasa Melayu Baku}} {{Script/Arabic| بهاس ملايو باكو‎}} | pronunciation = {{IPA|ms|baˈha.sə mə.la.ju mə'lej.sjə|}},{{IPA|ms|baˈha.sə mə'lej.sjə|}} | states = Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei | speakers = Native: Few | date = 2022 | ref = e25 | speakers2 = L2: Spoken by the vast majority of those in Malaysia, although most learn a local Malay dialect or another native language first. | speakers_label = Speakers | familycolor = Austronesian | fam2 = Malayo-Polynesian | fam3 = Malayic | fam4 = Malay | fam5 = | ancestor = Old Malay | ancestor2 = Classical Malay (Standard Classical Malay) | script = Latin (Rumi) Arabic (Jawi)<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 August 2008 |title=Kedah MB Defends Use of Jawi on Signboards |language=en |newspaper=The Star |url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/8/26/nation/22168989&sec=nation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121029105406/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2008%2F8%2F26%2Fnation%2F22168989&sec=nation |archive-date=29 October 2012}}</ref> Malaysian Braille | nation = {{startplainlist|class=nowrap}} * Malaysia * Singapore * Brunei {{endplainlist}} | agency = Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (Malaysian Institute of Language and Literature) Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei (Brunei Language and Literature Bureau)<ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.1017/S002510031100017X | title=Standard Malay (Brunei) | year=2011 | last1=Clynes | first1=Adrian | last2=Deterding | first2=David | journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association | volume=41 | issue=2 | pages=259–268 | s2cid=146544336 | doi-access=free }}</ref> Majlis Bahasa Melayu Singapura (Singapore Malay Language Council)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/printheritage/detail/aaea743c-7917-47f6-afb8-019b69e1a509.aspx | title=Standard Malay made simple / Liaw Yock Fang - BookSG - National Library Board, Singapore }}</ref> | iso3 = zsm | sign = Manually Coded Malay | glotto = stan1306 | glottorefname = Standard Malay | lingua = 33-AFA-ab | notice = IPA | ancestor3 = Pre-Modern Malay (Standard Johor–Riau)<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Adelaar |first=K. Alexander |date=2000 |title=Malay: A Short History |journal=Oriente Moderno |volume=19 |issue=2 |page=234 |jstor=25817713}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |author=Mukhlis Abu Bakar |date=2019 |title=Sebutan Johor-Riau dan Sebutan Baku dalam Konteks Identiti Masyarakat Melayu Singapura |trans-title=''Sebutan Johor-Riau'' and ''Sebutan Baku'' in the Context of the Singapore Malay Identity |url=http://publisher.unimas.my/ojs/index.php/ILS/article/view/1521 |journal=Issues in Language Studies |language=ms |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=61–78 |doi=10.33736/ils.1521.2019 |doi-access=free}}</ref> | ancestor4 = Modern Malay (Malaysian language) | mapcaption = Countries where Malaysian Malay is spoken: {{legend|#00bc00|Malaysia}} {{legend|#76f36b|Singapore and Brunei, where Standard Malay is an official language}} {{legend|#0000ff|Indonesia, where Standard Malay is mutually intelligible with the state language}} {{legend|#f7f36b|Southern Thailand and Cocos Island, where Standard Malay is minority language}} | map = File:Malay language Spoken Area Map v1.png | mapsize = 450px }} '''Malaysian Malay''' ({{langx|ms| Bahasa Melayu Malaysia}})<ref>{{Cite journal |author= Muhammad Ariff Ahmad |date=2026 |title= Pengguna Bahasa Melayu Baku |trans-title=Sebutan Baku di Malaysia & Singapura|url=https://www.languagecouncils.sg/mbms/my/-/media/mlc/documents/penerbitanpenggunaan-bahasa-melayu-di-singapuramasa-dini-masa-kini-dan-masa-lini.pdf|journal= council|language=ms |volume=1|issue=48 |pages=257-258}}</ref> or '''Malaysian''' ({{lang|ms|Bahasa Malaysia}})<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Malay as a pluricentric language|pages=403–4|year=1992|author=Asmah Haji Omar|author-link=Asmah Haji Omar|editor1-last=Clyne |editor1-first=Michael G. |editor1-link=Michael Clyne |title=Pluricentric Languages: Differing Norms in Different Nations |publisher=Mouton de Gruyter |series=Contributions to the sociology of language 62 |location=Berlin & New York |isbn=3-11-012855-1 }}</ref>{{dash}}endonymically known as '''Standard Malay''' ({{lang|ms|Bahasa Melayu Baku}}) or simply '''Malay''' ({{lang|ms|Bahasa Melayu}}, abbreviated to '''BM'''){{dash}}is a standardized form of the Malay language used in Malaysia and also used in Singapore and Brunei (as opposed to the variety used in Indonesia, which is referred to as the "Indonesian" language). Malaysian Malay is standardized from the Johor–Riau dialect of Malay, particularly a branch spoken in the state of Johor south of the Malay Peninsula.<ref>Ibid. pp. 402, 413–417.</ref> It is spoken by much of the Malaysian population, although most learn a vernacular Malay dialect or another native language first.<ref name=e25/>

==Terminology==

=== In Malaysia === Article 152 of Malaysia's Constitution as drafted in 1957 (revised in 1963) merely mentions "Malay" (''Bahasa Melayu'') as the designation of its "national language" without any further definition,<ref>{{cite wikisource|title=Federal Constitution of Malaysia|wslink=Constitution of Malaysia}}</ref> but the term ''bahasa Malaysia'' ({{lit|Malaysian language}}) is used in official contexts from time to time.<ref name="StarWong2007" /> The latter term was endorsed by Tunku Abdul Rahman during his premiership.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 October 1966 |title=English must continue – Tengku |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19661022-1.2.3 |access-date=2 September 2024 |newspaper=The Straits Times |page=1 |quote="At the same time, greater importance and more time must be given to the use of the national language in the schools and elsewhere. I would rather prefer to call it the Malaysian language (or bahasa Malaysia), rather than the national language (or bahasa kebangsaan)..."}}</ref>

The exact wording of either names above can be politically contentious. Between 1986 during Mahathir Mohamad's tenure and 2007, the term ''bahasa Malaysia'' was replaced by "''bahasa Melayu''";<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/02/12/bahasa-melayu-or-bahasa-malaysia-as-putrajaya-tightens-reins-on-national-language-linguistic-experts-argue-why-it-should-be-the-former/112951 | title=Bahasa Melayu or Bahasa Malaysia? As Putrajaya tightens reins on national language, linguistic experts argue why it should be the former | date=12 February 2024 }}</ref> even in 1999 the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka rejected the publication of some short stories as the preface to the publication used the term ''bahasa Malaysia'' instead of ''bahasa Melayu''.<ref name="qlrs1_1">{{cite journal |last=Tay |first=Eddie |date=October 2001 |title=Unsettling Ways of Exile |url=http://www.qlrs.com/essay.asp?id=141 |journal=Quarterly Literary Review Singapore |volume=1 |issue=1 |access-date=2 October 2022}}</ref> In 2007, to recognize that Malaysia is composed of many ethnic groups (and not only the ethnic Malays), the term ''bahasa Malaysia'' became the government's preferred designation for the national language.<ref name="StarWong2007">{{Cite news |last1=Wong |first1=Chun Wai |last2=Edwards |first2=Audrey |date=4 June 2007 |title=Back to Bahasa Malaysia |language=en |work=The Star Online |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2007/06/04/back-to-bahasa-malaysia/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=23 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2 October 2013 |title=Mahathir Regrets Govt Focussing Too Much on Bahasa |work=Daily Express |url=http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=86783 |url-status=live |access-date=16 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712044336/http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=86783 |archive-date=12 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bahasa Rasmi |url=https://www.malaysia.gov.my/portal/content/30118?language=my |access-date=19 April 2021 |website=MyGovernment |publisher=Government of Malaysia |language=ms |quote=Perkara 152 Perlembagaan Persekutuan menjelaskan bahawa bahasa Melayu yang dikenali juga sebagai bahasa Malaysia adalah bahasa rasmi yang tidak boleh dipertikai fungsi dan peranannya sebagai Bahasa Kebangsaan.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Encik Md. Asham bin Ahmad |date=8 August 2007 |title=Malay Language Malay Identity |url=http://www.ikim.gov.my/new-wp/index.php/2007/08/08/malay-language-malay-identity/ |access-date=19 April 2021 |website=Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia |archive-date=15 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115123301/https://www.ikim.gov.my/new-wp/index.php/2007/08/08/malay-language-malay-identity/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Ministry of Education's official communications used ''bahasa Malaysia'' from 2011 to 2015 but has preferred ''bahasa Melayu'' in its syllabi as of 2023.<ref>{{cite book |editor1=Roslina binti Ibrahim |language=ms |title=E-Katalog Buku Teks |date=2023 |publisher=Ministry of Education Malaysia |pages=2–3 |url=https://www.moe.gov.my/storage/files/shares/Banner/E-Katalog%20Buku%20Teks%20KPM.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Soalan Lazim Berkaitan Dasar Memartabatkan Bahasa Malaysia Memperkukuh Bahasa Inggeris (MBMMBI) |trans-title=Frequently Asked Questions Related to the Policy to Uphold Bahasa Malaysia and to Strengthen the English Language (MBMMBI) |url=http://www.moe.gov.my/v/soalan-lazim-view?id=150&cat=28&keyword=&page=1& |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911045614/http://www.moe.gov.my/v/soalan-lazim-view?id=150&cat=28&keyword=&page=1& |archive-date=2014-09-11 |access-date=3 November 2013 |website=Portal Rasmi Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia |language=ms}}</ref>

=== Other countries === In Singapore, "the Malay language" in the "Roman script" is afforded the status of national language in part 13 of its constitution's general provisions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Constitution of the Republic of Singapore - Part 13: General Provisions |url=https://sso.agc.gov.sg/act/cons1963?ProvIds=P113-#pr153A- |website= Singapore Statutes Online |publisher=Attorney-General's Chambers of Singapore |language=en}}</ref> The term ''bahasa Melayu'' is used continuously in Singapore's educational literature<ref>{{cite conference|conference=Prosiding Persidangan Antarabangsa Pengajian Melayu|date=8-9 November 2006|location=Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |author=Kamsiah Abdullah |title=Penyelidikan bahasa Melayu di Singapura (1959-2000): Satu refleksi dan tinjauan selayang pandang |url=https://repository.nie.edu.sg/server/api/core/bitstreams/20acb46e-229c-49d4-aaa0-372204df80db/content}}</ref> and is considered to be identical to Malaysian Malay.<ref name=Steinhauer/>{{rp|81|q=Malay still is the national language of the state. This official Malay is the Malaysian standard variety.}}

The national standard variety of Malay employed in formal communications of Brunei dubbed "Standard Brunei Malay"<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Clynes |first=Adrian |date=2001 |title=Brunei Malay: An Overview |journal=Occasional Papers in Language Studies |publisher=Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics, Universiti Brunei Darussalam |volume=7 |pages=11–2}}</ref> (or internally "Standard Malay"<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Clynes |first1=Adrian |last2=Deterding |first2=David |date=2011 |title=Standard Malay (Brunei) |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44527038 |journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association |volume=41 |issue=2 |pages=259–268 |doi=10.1017/S002510031100017X |jstor=44527038 |issn=0025-1003}}</ref>) is observed to largely follow the Malaysian standard; the main differences being minor variation in pronunciation and some lexical influence from Brunei Malay, the local non-standard vernacular variety of Malay.<ref name=Steinhauer>{{cite book |last=Steinhauer |first=Hein |year=2005 |chapter=Colonial History and Language Policy in Insular Southeast Asia and Madagascar |editor-last1=Adelaar |editor-first1=Alexander |editor-last2=Himmelamnn |editor-first2=Nikolaus |title=The Austronesian languages of Asia and Madagascar |pages=65–86 |location=London |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9780700712861 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BAShwSYLbUYC&pg=PA72}}</ref>{{rp|72}}<ref name=":0" />

==Writing system== {{Main article|Malay alphabet}}

thumb|Comparison of the Malay language written in Rumi and Jawi with other languages [[File:Malaysia Traffic-signs Warning-and-regulatory-signs-02.jpg|thumb|Traffic signs in Malaysian: Warning sign "Level crossing" and regulatory sign "Stop".]] The Latin alphabet, known in Malay as ''Rumi'' (Roman alphabet), is prescribed by law as the official script of Malaysian Malay, and the Arabic alphabet called Jawi (or Malay script) is not legally prescribed for that purpose. Rumi is official while efforts are currently being undertaken to preserve the Jawi script and to revive its use in Malaysia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Malay |url=https://www.baystateinterpreters.com/ContentDetail.aspx?MenuID=162 |access-date=2019-06-26 |website=Baystate Interpreters |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=18 December 2014 |title=Use of Jawi Should Be Encouraged, Not Condemned – Faidhur Rahman Abdul Hadi and Fatihah Jamhari |language=en |work=Malay Mail |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/what-you-think/2014/12/18/use-of-jawi-should-be-encouraged-not-condemned-faidhur-rahman-abdul-hadi-an/804615 |access-date=2019-06-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last= |date=30 July 2019 |title=Khat to Be Included in School Curriculum |language=en |work=The Star |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/07/30/khat-to-be-included-in-school-curriculum#azQeRsS58eKTSuTb.99 |access-date=13 August 2019}}</ref> The Latin alphabet, however, is still the most commonly used script in Malaysia, for both official and informal purposes.

==Borrowed words== {{Main article|List of loanwords in Malay}}

While literary Malay throughout the region has mostly absorbed from Sanskrit, Tamil, Hindustani (Hindi–Urdu), Arabic, Persian, Portuguese and Sinitic languages; the variety spoken within British colonies that eventually make up Malaysia following the 1824 Anglo-Dutch Treaty borrowed majorly from English (in particular many scientific and technological terms) compared to Dutch as spread within the East Indies.

Since Malayan independence and later Federation formation, its own Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka followed a purist approach in lexicography away from Western loanwords (even favouring established roots like Sanskrit and Arabic) as well as neologizing from native roots.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Coluzzi |first=Paolo |date=Mar 2017 |title=Language planning for Malay in Malaysia: A case of failure or success? |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/ijsl-2016-0055/html |journal=International Journal of the Sociology of Language |language= |issue=244 |pages=24–6 |doi=10.1515/ijsl-2016-0055 |issn=1613-3668|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In recent years, Malaysian has also been influenced lexically by the Indonesian variety largely through the popularity of neighbouring mass media like dramas, soap operas, and music{{dash}}akin to the effect of American media towards other Englishes like those of Britain and Australia.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sneddon |first=James N. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A9UjLYD9jVEC&pg=PA157 |title=The Indonesian Language: Its History and Role in Modern Society |date=2003 |publisher=UNSW Press |isbn=0-86840-598-1 |location=Sydney |pages=157 |language=}}</ref>

# Sanskrit: This language had a significant influence on the Malay language through trade and the spread of Hindu-Buddhist religions that arrived in the Malay Archipelago from the 1st to the 14th century. Borrowed words include ''bahasa'' (language), ''raja'' (king), ''syurga'' (heaven), ''neraka'' (hell), ''desa'' (village). # Arabic: With the arrival of Islam in the region during the 7th century, Arabic began influencing the Malay language, especially in religious and philosophical terminology. Examples include ''kitab'' (book), ''masjid'' (mosque), ''ilmu'' (knowledge), ''iman'' (faith), ''zakat'' (almsgiving). # Tamil: The influence of the Tamil language came primarily through maritime trade between India and the Malay Archipelago. Borrowed words from Tamil include ''kedai'' (shop), ''mangga'' (mango), and ''vadai'' (a type of snack). # Chinese: Trade relations between Chinese merchants and the local population led to the borrowing of words such as ''tauhu'' (tofu), ''mi'' (noodles), ''lombong'' (mine). # Portuguese: The Portuguese occupation of Malacca in the early 16th century introduced words like ''gereja'' (church), ''keju'' (cheese), ''jendela'' (window), ''sekolah'' (school), and ''almari'' (cupboard). # Dutch: Borrowing from Dutch occurred during the Dutch colonial period, including words like ''kabin'' (cabin), ''kontrak'' (contract). # English: The English language introduced many technical and modern words into Malay, especially during British colonial rule. Examples include ''telefon'' (telephone), ''komputer'' (computer), ''bank'', ''internet'', and ''stesen'' (station).

==Grammar== {{main|Malay grammar}}

==Colloquial and contemporary usage== {{Main article|Bahasa Rojak}}

Colloquial and contemporary usage of Malay includes modern Malaysian vocabulary, which may not be familiar to the older generation, such as: *''Awek'' (means girl, in place of ''perempuan''). *''Balak'' (means guy, in place of ''jantan''). *''Cun'' (means pretty, in place of ''cantik / jelita'').

New plural pronouns have also been formed out of the original pronouns popularly nowadays and the word ''orang'' (person), such as: *''Korang'' (''kau'' + ''orang'', "you all", in place of ''kalian / kamu semua''). *''Kitorang'' (''kita'' + ''orang'', the exclusive "we", in place of ''kami''). *''Diorang'' (''dia'' + ''orang'', the exclusive "they", in place of ''mereka'').

thumb|Malaysian speaker

In addition, Arabic terms that is originally used in Standard Malay nowadays has been popularly changed where some of the words and pronunciations in the involved terms have been added by the local conservative Muslims by disputing the terms suggested by the ''Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka'' (DBP), claiming that the involved terms with implementation of the additional words and pronunciations is the real correct terms as same as stated in the Qur'an, where it is predominantly used by the local Muslim netizens in the social medias nowadays. The several involved terms in comparison to Standard Malay that is popularly used, such as: *''Ramadhan'' (means the holy fasting month, in place of ''Ramadan''). *''Aamiin'' (means asking Allah (Islam) to verify the prayer (''Du'a''); real term is Ameen, in place of ''Amin''). *''Fardhu'' (means obligatory (''in Islam''), in place of ''Fardu''). *''Redha'' (means accepting, in place of ''Reda''). *''Mudharat'' (means harm, in place of ''Mudarat''). *''Dhaif'' (means poverty, in place of ''Daif''). *''Zohor'' (means mid-day or noon time, in place of ''Zuhur''). *''Hadith'' (means Prophet (Mohamed) terms or speeches, in place of ''Hadis'').

Code-switching between English and Malaysian and the use of novel loanwords is widespread, forming Bahasa Rojak. Consequently, this phenomenon has raised the displeasure of linguistic purists in Malaysia, in their effort to uphold use of the prescribed standard language.

==See also== * Comparison of Standard Malay and Indonesian * Indonesian language * Jawi, an Arabic script based writing system for Malay * Language politics * Malaysian English, English language used formally in Malaysia.

==References== {{Ibid|date=November 2024}} {{reflist|group=fn}} {{reflist}}

==Further reading== {{refbegin}} * {{Cite book |last=S. Takdir Alisjahbana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vHmVDwAAQBAJ |title=Language Planning for Modernization: The Case of Indonesian and Malaysian |date=1976 |publisher=Mouton |isbn=90-279-7712-7 |location=The Hague |language=en}} {{refend}}

==External links== {{InterWiki|code=ms}} {{Wiktionary category|Malay language}} * [http://www.dbp.gov.my Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (Institute of Language and Literature Malaysia, in Malay only)] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100706054017/http://www.spellingsociety.org/journals/j11/malay.php The Malay Spelling Reform], Asmah Haji Omar, (Journal of the Simplified Spelling Society, 1989-2 pp. 9–13 later designated J11)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Malaysian Malay}} Category:Agglutinative languages Category:Malay language Category:Malay-language dialects Category:Languages of Malaysia Category:Standard languages Category:Subject–verb–object languages