Malay Language
Malay is a language predominantly spoken on the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia, with around thirty-three million speakers. It belongs to the Austronesian language family, specifically the Western group, and has historical roots that trace back to the migration of Malay people from a region in China to Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. The language served as a unifying lingua franca in Malaysia, which boasts a rich tapestry of approximately two hundred languages, helping to bridge diverse cultural communities.
Historically, Malay evolved from Old Malay, with records dating back to the seventh century CE. The language underwent significant transformations during the Early and Late Modern periods, influenced by Islam and various foreign languages due to trade and colonialism. Since gaining independence in 1957, Malay has been recognized as the national language of Malaysia and is also widely used in Brunei and Singapore. The language incorporates many loanwords from languages such as Arabic, English, and Sanskrit.
Despite ongoing globalization and the prevalence of English, Malay remains a critical aspect of national identity and cultural preservation in Malaysia and among Malay-speaking communities in neighboring countries. It is essential for fostering communication and understanding among a diverse population while adapting to modern contexts.
Malay Language
Malay is a language that is used primarily on the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is spoken by roughly thirty-three million people on the peninsula and in the surrounding area. It is part of the Austronesian language family and developed near the Malay Peninsula. The Malay language is the lingua franca, an adopted common language in an area with many different languages, of Malaysia, which has approximately two hundred languages. The Malay language has played an important role in unifying the many different cultures that exist on the Malay Peninsula.
History and Classification
The Malay language is part of the Austronesian, or Malayo-Polynesian, language family. This language family is the world's largest, and it is made up of more than one thousand languages. The Austronesian family is split into two groups: Central-Eastern and Western. Malay is in the Western group.
Few records about the history of the Malay language exist. Researchers have determined that the Malay people most likely originally migrated from a section of China. This group of people then moved into Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. Old Malay—which has similarities to the present-day Malay language—developed in Sumatra. Records from this language stretch back to the seventh century CE. It is likely that Malay developed from Old Malay.
From around the 1500s to the mid-1800s, the Malay language went through the Early Modern period. During this time, people on the Malay Peninsula started to practice Islam, and Malay became a language associated with that religion. During this time, the language was influenced by Arabic, Persian, and Hindi. In 1603, the first Malay grammar book was published in Europe. In the 1800s, the British began settling in the area. Malaysia became an important trade center, bringing in people from other areas, such as China, India, and Europe. Migration to the area continued when Chinese immigrants traveled to Malaysia to work in the mines. After some years, the Chinese began to outnumber the ethnic Malays in the area.
From 1850 to 1957, the Malay language experienced the Late Modern period. During this time, the language was influenced by European languages, such as Dutch and English. Also, as European Christians came to the area, more people used the Malay language for religions other than Islam.
From the 1910s to the 1940s, the British controlled most of the Malay Peninsula. During this time, the immigrant communities in Malaysia grew and developed subcultures of their own. Many immigrant communities started their own businesses, set up their own schools, and developed their own habits and cultures. This made it largely unnecessary for immigrants to learn the Malay language. Furthermore, immigrants who wanted to move upward in society often learned English so they could communicate with the British. The British did open schools for the Malay people that taught in the Malay language, but these schools were not meant to give extensive educations.
In 1946, the British attempted to take what little control the ethnic Malay had left in their country, but the Malay rebelled. Throughout the mid-1950s, the Malays attempted to maintain their language and culture as the most dominant. Malaysia received its independence in 1957. After Malaysia received its independence, Malay entered the Contemporary period. In the 1980s, Malay became, and has remained, Malaysia's national language. It also remains an important language in other countries in the area.
Few early Malay records exist, but historians believe that the Malay language has changed very little over the centuries. Because of this, people who speak Malay in different regions can often understand each other easily because their forms of the language continue to be very similar to one another. Malay includes loanwords from Persian, Sanskrit, Portuguese, Arabic, English, and other languages.
Geographical Distribution and Modern Usage
Malay is currently used most often in Malaysia and in surrounding countries, including Brunei and Singapore. Malaysia is an ethnically diverse country, with roughly two hundred different languages spoken by its citizens. However, before the 1400s, the Malay Peninsula was not very ethnically diverse. The people living there were ethnic Malays, and they spoke the Malay language. However, starting in the 1400s, new cultures and religions began moving into the area. By the 1800s, the Malay Peninsula became an important center for trade.
Malay became the national language of Malaysia in 1981. The country's constitution and other national laws enforce the language's use in schools. The language and the Malay people (as defined by the government) are specifically protected in the nation's laws, making it unlikely that the national language will change. Although the government has made an effort to make Malay the most dominant language in the country, some people still study English. English is a common language used in technology and science, and people who are interested in being involved in global discussions about these subjects often find it useful to understand and speak English.
Malay is also used in Indonesia. Although Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia, Malay is spoken there. Malay and Indonesian are so closely related, as both are from the same language family, that the governments of Malaysia and Indonesia made adjustments to their national languages to create a better understanding between the two languages to facilitate trade.
Bibliography
Beer, William R. and James E. Jacob. Language Policy and National Unity. Totowa: Rowman & Allanheld, 1985. Print.
"Malay." Accredited Language Services. Accredited Language Services. Web. 6 Sept. 2015. https://www.alsintl.com/resources/languages/Malay/
Rappa, Antonio L. and Lionel Wee. Language Policy and Modernity in Southeast Asia: Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. New York: Springer Science+Business Media, Inc., 2006. Print.
Tham, Seong Chee. A Study of the Evolution of the Malay Language: Social Change and Cognitive Development. Singapore: Singapore University Press, 1991. Print.
Yunos, Rozan and Bandar Seri Begawan. "History of the Malay Language." The Brunei Times. Brunei Times Sdn Bhd. 8 Nov. 2010. Web. 8 Sept. 2015. http://www.bt.com.bn/golden-legacy/2010/11/08/history-malay-language