MALAY TRANSLATION

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ABOUT MALAY
The Malay language is a member of the Western Group of the Austronesian Family and is the native language of the Deutro-Malays, or modern Malays. People in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Brunei speak Malay as their first or second language. It is spoken by over 20 million people.

When the Republic of Indonesia was established in 1949, Malay was chosen over others as that country's official language, though it was called Indonesian. There are some differences in vocabulary between Indonesian and Malay, but the two are essentially one and the same.

In the 14th century many Malays converted to Islam and used an adaptation of Arabic script (Jawi) for writing. In the 19th century the British developed a Roman-based alphabet that is in general use today. It differed somewhat from the one developed by the Dutch for the Indonesian language, but in 1972 the two systems were made the same. The Malay language continues to evolve and the vocabulary is being enhanced, especially in the engineering and technology fields.

English words of Malay origin include gingham, sarong, bamboo, rattan, kapok, cockatoo, paddy, and amok. Orangutan is a combination of the Malay words orang (person) and hutan (forest). Compound, in the meaning "enclosed area," comes from the Malay kampong, which means "village."