Malaysian | |
---|---|
bahasa Malaysia بهاس مليسيا | |
Pronunciation | [baˈhasə mə'lejsiə] |
Native to | Malaysia |
Native speakers | Spoken by the vast majority of those in Malaysia, although most learn a local Malay dialect or another native language first.[1] |
Early forms | Old Malay
|
Latin (Rumi) Arabic (Jawi)[4] Malaysian Braille | |
Bahasa Malaysia Kod Tangan | |
Official status | |
Official language in | ![]() |
Regulated by | Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (Institute of Language and Literature) |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | zsm |
Glottolog | stan1306 |
The Malaysian language (Malay: bahasa Malaysia, Jawi: بهاس مليسيا) or Malaysian Malay (Malay: bahasa Melayu Malaysia), is the name regularly applied to the standardized form of Malay language used in Malaysia (as opposed to the variety used in Indonesia, which is referred to as the "Indonesian" language). Constitutionally, however, the official language of Malaysia is stated as "Malay", but the term "Malaysian" or bahasa Malaysia is used on official contexts from time to time. Malaysian is standardized from the Johore-Riau dialect of Malay. It is spoken by much of the Malaysian population, although most learn a vernacular form of Malay or another native language first.[1] Malay is a compulsory subject in primary and secondary schools.[5]
Article 152 of the Federation designates Malay as the official language.[6] Between 1986 and 2007, the official term bahasa Malaysia was replaced by "bahasa Melayu". Since then, to recognize that Malaysia is composed of many ethnic groups (and not only the ethnic Malays), the term bahasa Malaysia has once again become the government's preferred designation for the bahasa kebangsaan (national language) and the bahasa perpaduan/penyatu (unifying language/lingua franca).[7][8][9][10] However, both terms remain in use.[11][12] The language is also referred to as BM, or simply Bahasa.
English continues to be widely used in professional and commercial fields and in the superior courts.
Main article: Malay alphabet |
The script of the Malaysian language is prescribed by law as the Latin alphabet, known in Malay as Rumi (Roman alphabets), provided that the Arabic alphabet called Jawi (or Malay script) is not proscribed for that purpose. Rumi is official while efforts are currently being undertaken to preserve Jawi script and to revive its use in Malaysia.[13][14][15] The Latin alphabet, however, is still the most commonly used script in Malaysia, both for official and informal purposes.
Main article: List of loanwords in Malay |
The Malaysian language has most of its borrowings absorbed from Sanskrit, Tamil, Hindustani, Persian, Portuguese, Dutch, Sinitic languages, Arabic and more recently, English (in particular many scientific and technological terms). Modern Malaysian Malay has also been influenced lexically by the Indonesian variety, largely through the popularity of Indonesian dramas, soap operas, and music.[16]
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:
New plural pronouns have also been formed out of the original pronouns popularly nowadays and the word orang (person), such as:
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:
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.