Welcome back to another post on the Malay language in Malaysia. Today, we’re peeling back the layers of history to understand how Malay has grown and adapted over the years. From ancient origins to modern influences, Malay has not only survived but thrived as a dynamic medium of expression.
Originally, the Malay language stems from Austronesian language, which later evolves into a story of cultures mixing, ideas spreading, and people connecting. Let’s dive into the history of Malay language and explore how it has grown and changed over the years.
Table Of Contents
The Origin Of Bahasa Melayu
Presently, the Malay language is an Austronesian language. It is widely spoken by people in Malaysia (as their national language), Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, and small parts of Thailand; it can sum up to 290 million people who speak this language.
Just like other languages, the original language sounds nothing like what we speak today, just like how English speakers cannot understand Old English.
The 3 Periods: History Of Malay Language
To simplify it, the history of the Malay language can be divided into three periods: Old Malay, Classical Malay, and Modern Malay. Throughout these periods, the Malay language was heavily influenced by other languages, due to colonization and migration.
Old Malay
Based on history, around the year 2500 to 1500 BC, the Ancient Malays, also known as “Proto-Malays,” undergo a wave of migration to the Archipelago of Malaysia. These ancestors of the Malays and Indonesians eventually moved deeper on the land, and a new wave of migration happened around the land. The new migratory family was called “Deutero-Malays” and settled all around present-day Malaysia and Indonesia. As a result, the language used by the Austronesian people was slowly developed into what they classify as the Old Malay.
Old Malay was heavily influenced by Indian cultures and religion, including the Sanskrit language. The Indian influence was due to the Srivijaya regime that ruled the Malacca Sultanate between 1402 and 1511 BC. And because people spoke it in West Malaysia, Riau Archipelago, and Sumatera- basically among travelers and traders who pass through Malacca- the language was labeled as the lingua franca (adopted common language) of the time. Pallava, an ancient Tamil script from South India, was accepted as the Malay writing system, and later on, the people also accepted Kawi, an ancient Javanese script, as their writing system.
Lembah Bujang, or Bujang Valley, in Kedah, Malaysia, is the richest archeological area in Malaysia. It also has the oldest man-made structure to be recorded in Southeast Asia. The remains found are proof of Old Malay and Indian influence on the land.
Classical Malay
The region then was taken over by Islamic rules and values. Thus the Malay language was evolved around Arabic and Persian culture. This period is referred to as Classic Malay- around the 15th to mid 19th century.
However, since most of the Malay people decided to embrace the faith of Islam as proof of loyalty to their ruler, they found difficulties in using Pallava and Kawi to express their new faith. Muslims depend on the Quran and Hadith as guidance, and there is certain pronunciation in Arabic that was not found in the Pallava and Kawi languages. Thus, they created the Jawi script that was based on Arabic script.
At this point, legal documents and letters were mostly written in Jawi. The Jawi script was used for more than 600 years, and it is still being used and taught in school.
Some Arabic and Persian words are still in use in the Malay language today:
| English | Malay – Arabic |
|---|---|
| Lawful/permissible | Halal |
| World | Dunia |
| Philosophy | Falsafah |
| English | Malay – Persian |
|---|---|
| Town/city | Bandar |
| Raisin | Kismis |
| Market/bazaar | Pasar |
Later on, the Malay language again went through changes and addition when the Portuguese and Dutch arrived in Malacca. This leads to the arrival of Christianity to the land. Thus many words were added to the language to suit its purpose. The same happened during the British colonization of the land of Malaya.
Then, starting from the 17th century, the Jawi writing system was replaced by the Rumi script. Rumi is the Latin script (or the current writing script I am using right now).
Modern Malay
By The 19th century, the language has already absorbed and loan words from many other languages of colonists: Portuguese, Dutch, and English. Dictionaries were made, and the language was standardized due to the emergence of the many regional dialects.
At some point, the Malay language was raised as the national language of each country after the occupation of Japan. However, after independence, each country settles on its own standardized version of Malay. There was an effort made to standardize the spelling of Malay and Indonesian. However, the efforts fell apart.
In recent years, Modern Malay has many new words borrowed from English. This may be due to the need for new lexicons to suit technological advancement, and since Malaysians widely use English, it is convenient to adapt from English.
Bahasa Melayu Vs. Bahasa Malaysia: What’s The Difference?
There is no harm done if you use one over the other. It was first known as Bahasa Melayu, but later, it was changed into Bahasa Malaysia. Some believe it was a political move, while many agree that it was an act of inclusion of the whole nation since there’s a variety of ethnic groups in Malaysia, not just Malay. This argument has been going on for quite some time, and there will never be an end to it, though language experts in the nation said it’s time to call the language Bahasa Melayu once and for all.
Current Status Of The Malay Language
Malay Language In Malaysia
Standard Malay or Bahasa Malaysia is the official language and the national language of Malaysia. It is officially used in administrative and legal matters. Nevertheless, the Malay language has many dialects known around Malaysia; almost every state has their own dialect. English, however, is the official second language in Malaysia, and has gained significant popularity. Many celebrities train their children to speak English from birth instead of as a second language.
Malay Language In Brunei
Brunei has two co-official languages: Malay and English. Malay is used by half of the population.
Malay Language In Singapore
Malay used to be the most used language, historically. Although it retains its position as the national language, most of the population prefers to speak English than Malay.
Malay Language In Indonesia
Indonesians have used their variety of Malay and made it their own, which they call Bahasa Indonesia or Indonesian Language. However, there are major differences between Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia, and these language aren’t interchangeable, though the sound and meaning of some words may be similar.
How Do You Say History Of Malay Language In Malay?
In Malay, the word ‘history’ is sejarah and Malay language is Bahasa Melayu.
So, history of Malay language, once translated to Malay, becomes Sejarah Bahasa Melayu.
Important Phrases In The History Of Malay Language
Here are some Malay words that you should know. Using a language learning app like the Ling app is an excellent way to learn their pronunciation and proper usage.
| English | Malay |
|---|---|
| Origin | Asal usul |
| History | Sejarah |
| Colonization | Penjajahan |
| National language | Bahasa kebangsaan |
| Influence | Pengaruh |
Frequently Asked Question About The History of Malay Language
What Ethnicity Speaks Malay?
The Malay language is spoken predominantly by the Malay ethnicity, which is the largest ethnic group in Malaysia. Malaysian Chinese and Indians speak the language as well, since it’s their national language. The language is also spoken by populations in Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, and southern Thailand.
Is Malay And Malaysian The Same Language?
Technically, Malay and Malaysian refer to the same language. However, there’s a clear distinction between the two. In general, Malay language refers to the language spoken by the Malay people; it’s their native tongue. Since it’s the official, standardized language, some may regard it as the ‘textbook Malay’. The Malaysian language, or Bahasa Malaysia, is essentially the language identical to Malay. However, as it evolves through daily use and trends, it may include some Malay slang words, vocabulary and influences unique to Malaysia. Then again, if you go back to the history of Malay language, these two terms ultimately refer to the same thing.
What Is The Mother Tongue Of Malaysians?
Since Malay is the largest ethnic group in Malaysia, the mother tongue of that nation is Malay. Then again, as a multicultural country, many Malaysians speak other languages as their mother tongue, such as Tamil, Chinese, Cantonese, or Javanese, depending on their ethnicities.
A Journey Beyond The History Of Malay Language
Ending this blog with a great quote: “Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going”. Clearly, learning about the language is not the same as learning the language itself. Mastering the Malay language is one thing; understanding the back story of the language is another. Keep exploring this language and you’ll soon uncover the richness and beauty embedded within — the deep heritage of the Malay culture and the community that continues to shape it today.
