About the Malay Language

In which countries is the Malay language spoken?

Malay is spoken primarily in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and southern Thailand.

What is the history of the Malay language?

The Malay language is an Austronesian language that is spoken by the people in the Malay Peninsula, the southern part of Thailand and the northern coastal parts of Sumatra. It is also used in Brunei, East Malaysia and parts of Pilipinas. The Malay language is believed to have originated around the 2nd century B.C., having its roots in the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian language which began to spread from the area of the Malacca Straits. The oldest known Malay inscription, found on a stone tablet from the Terengganu region, dates back to the year 1303 A.D.
In the 19th century, the Malay language was introduced to the British colonies of Singapore and Penang by traders who came from the Malay Peninsula. During the colonial era, the British developed a written form of the language that was based on the Dutch orthography, called Rumi. This form of writing is still commonly used in the Malay-speaking countries today.
During the 20th century, the Malay language underwent standardisation through the efforts of the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), which is the national language centre of Malaysia. The DBP developed a modern literary language, which is known as Bahasa Malaysia today. This language has become the official language of Malaysia, as well as being widely spoken in Singapore, Brunei, East Malaysia and Pilipinas.

Who are the top 5 people who have contributed the most to the Malay language?

1. Raja Ali Haji – His works playing an important role in the modernization of Malay language.
2. Munshi Abdullah – A prominent 19th century Malay court scholar who wrote Istilah-istilah Melayu (Malay Terms).
3. Rosli Klong – He was responsible for the development of the modern Malay language, with his works defining its standardised form.
4. Zainal Abidin Ahmad – Also known as Pak Zain, he was instrumental in producing works such as Kamus Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (Dictionary of the National Language and Literature) and Standards of Malaysian Bahasa Malaysia.
5. Usman Awang – His works such as Pantun Melayu (traditional Malay poetry) are considered classics of Malay culture.

How is the structure of the Malay language?

The Malay language is an agglutinative language, meaning it follows a structure where words are made up of individual elements that form a single unit. These elements, known as morphemes, can contain information on the meaning, structure and pronunciation of the word, and they can be added, removed or changed to convey different meanings. For example, the word ‘makan’ means ‘eat’, but the addition of the morpheme ‘-nya’ changes the word to ‘makannya’, which means ‘his/hers’ with the same root meaning. Grammatical relations are primarily expressed through word order instead of inflections, and Malay has a fairly straightforward sentence structure.

How to learn the Malay language in the most correct way?

1. Start by learning basic words and phrases. Familiarize yourself with the Malay language through popular resources like online courses, books, and language-learning apps.
2. Listen to conversations or watch movies and shows in Malay to get an understanding of the language’s natural flow and rhythm.
3. Practice writing and speaking Malay with a native speaker. You can use conversation exchange websites or find a language partner.
4. Study Malay grammar and rules. Read textbooks, use online tutorials and practice drills.
5. Challenge yourself by reading books and articles written in Malay. Try your hand at writing short stories or blog posts in Malay.
6. Keep yourself motivated by setting goals and tracking your progress. Celebrate your successes and don’t be discouraged when you make mistakes.
7. Immerse yourself in the Malay language. Find friends who speak Malay and participate in conversations. Visit Malaysia or any other country where Malay is spoken.