A few Malay words for your next trip to Malaysia
Mon, Sep 1st 2014, 15:54 Under Category Useful Information for the Public by actc
As you might have heard, the Malays have a flair for adopting foreign words. In fact, many Malay words were derived from Austronesian and European languages – out of which English played a crucial role in shaping modern Malay language (I’m not trying to offend ‘linguistic purists’ here, but it seems to be an inevitable outcome, and a remarkably prodigious one, for a land so vividly multicultural). When you take a closer look at Malay language you’d notice a colossal amount of English words or English loan words, such as bank, hospital, hotel, and so on.
With that in mind, I’ve decided to pull a handful of Malay words in which English influence is visible. Just look at the similarity – I believe it would also help you greatly during your next trip to Malaysia.
1. When taking public transports in Malaysia…
| Malay |
Corresponding English Words |
| Tren |
Train |
| Bas |
Bus |
| Teksi |
Taxi |
2. When going to different places…
| Muzium |
Museum |
| Stadion |
Stadium |
| Kaunter |
Counter |
| Universiti |
University |
| Bank |
Bank |
| Hospital |
Hospital |
| Hotel |
Hotel |
| Garaj |
Garage |
3. Food, activity, leisure, etc.
| Biskut |
Biscuit |
| Limau |
Lemon |
| Teh |
Tea |
| Activiti |
Activity |
| Bola |
Ball |
| Televisyen |
Television |
| Komputer |
Computer |
4. Others
| Nama |
Name |
| Informasi |
Information |
| Mesej |
Message |
| Sistem |
System |
| Bajet |
Budget |
| Lesen |
License |
| Kelas |
Class |
Isn’t it amazing? What’s your take on English influence in Malay languages and cultures? Share your comments with us!
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As you might have heard, the Malays have a flair for adopting foreign words. In fact, many Malay words were derived from Austronesian and European languages – out of which English played a crucial role in shaping modern Malay language (I’m not trying to offend ‘linguistic purists’ here, but it seems to be an inevitable outcome, and a remarkably prodigious one, for a land so vividly multicultural). When you take a closer look at Malay language you’d notice a colossal amount of English words or English loan words, such as bank, hospital, hotel, and so on.