Brunei Malay

This article is about the language. For Ethnic Malays residing in Brunei, see Bruneian Malay people.
Brunei Malay
Kedayan
Bahasa Melayu Brunei
Native to Brunei, Malaysia
Ethnicity Bruneian Malay, Kedayan
Native speakers
 (270,000 cited 1984–2013)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3 kxd
Glottolog brun1242[2]

  Area where Brunei Malay language were spoken

Brunei Malay (Bahasa Melayu Brunei), or Kedayan (Kadaian), sometimes conflated as Brunei-Kadaian, is the national language of Brunei and a lingua franca at some parts of East Malaysia.[3] It is not the official language of Brunei, but it is socially dominant and currently replacing minority languages of Brunei. It is quite divergent from standard Malay to the point where it is almost mutually unintelligible with it.

Phonology

Brunei Malay has a three-vowel system, with the merger of /a/ and /ə/. Unlike its Malaysian counterpart, final <k> is an unreleased /k/ and not a glottal stop.

Dialects

Three dialects have been recognised by Bruneians, namely Brunei Malay, Kedayan and Kampong Ayer, all which sound alike. Brunei Malay is used by the numerically and politically dominant Brunei people, who traditionally lived on water. The Kedayan dialect is the one used by the land-dwelling farmers, and the Kampong Ayer dialect is used by the inhabitants of the river north of the capital.[4][5]

Common Bruneian Malay words

Bruneian Malay Meaning/Note
Aku First person singular
Saya
Peramba First person singular when in conversation with a Royal Family Member
Awak Second person singular
Kau
Ko
Awda From '(si) awang' and '(si) dayang'. It is used like the Malaysian word 'anda'.
Kamu Second person plural
Ia Third person singular
Kitani First person plural (inclusive)
Kita To be used either like 'kitani' or 'biskita'
Si awang Male third person singular
Si dayang Female third person singular
Biskita To address a listener of older age. Also first person plural
Cinta To address a loved one
Ani This
Atu That
(Di) mana? Where (at)?
Ke mana? Where to?
Lelaki Male (human)
Laki-laki
Perempuan Female (human)
Bini-bini1
Budiman A gentleman
Kebawah Duli His Majesty
Awu Yes
Ya
Inda No
Tidak
Kabat To close (a door etc.)
Makan To eat
Suka To like
Cali Funny (adj.)
Siuk cf. Malaysian ‘Syok’, Singaporean ‘Shiok’
Lakas To be quick, (in a) hurry(ing) (also an interjection)
Karang At a later time, soon
Tarus Straight ahead; immediately
Manada Used as a term when in a state denial (as in 'No way!' or 'It can't be')
Baiktah 'Might as well...'
Orang putih Generally refers to a white Westerner.
Kaling Refers to a Bruneian of Indian descent.

1 "Bini-bini" is exclusively used in Brunei to refer to a lady. In Malaysia and Singapore, it is an informal way to refer to one's wives or a group of married women.

Example sentences

Studies

The vocabulary of Brunei Malay has been collected and published by several western explorers in Borneo including Pigafetta in 1521, De Crespigny in 1872, Charles Hose in 1893, A. S. Haynes in 1900, Sidney H. Ray in 1913, H. B. Marshall in 1921, and G. T. MacBryan in 1922, and some Brunei Malay words are included in "A Malay-English Dictionary" by R. J. Wilkinson.[6][7][8]

References

  1. ↑ Brunei Malay at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
  2. ↑ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian, eds. (2016). "Brunei". Glottolog 2.7. Jena: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
  3. ↑ Namely, the Federal Territory of Labuan, District of Limbang and Lawas (Sarawak) and District of Sipitang, Beaufort, Kuala Penyu and Papar (Sabah).
  4. ↑ Gallop, 2006. "Brunei Darussalam: Language Situation". In Keith Brown, ed. (2005). Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics (2 ed.). Elsevier. ISBN 0-08-044299-4.
  5. ↑ Wurm, Mühlhäusler, & Tryon, Atlas of languages of intercultural communication in the Pacific, Asia and the Americas, 1996:677
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ Uhlenbeck 1958, p. 8.
  8. ↑ Sidhu 2009, p. 283.

Further reading

A Vocabulary of Brunei Malay H. B. Marshall Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society No. 83 (APRIL, 1921), pp. 45–74 Published by: Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41561363 Page Count: 30

External links

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