Grammar and polity: The cultural and political background to Standard Malay (original) (raw)

Affixes, Austronesian and iconicity in Malay

Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde 165: 291–323, 2009

This is a sequel to the author’s paper (1993) on the sociolinguistics of Malay verbal affixation ("Grammar and Polity"). Explanations are offered for the puzzling differences between the form and meaning of the Malay affixes and those of the broader Austronesian affixal system from which they derive. It is suggested that a degree of phonic iconicity is involved in the encoding of meanings that have both language-internal and social significance. The various verbal prefixes can be analysed both historically and iconically as different combinations of (1) a labial series ([m], [b], [p]) indicating ‘source orientation’ with (2) [r] ‘iterative’ and (3) [(-)N] ‘process marker’. The full range of forms becomes apparent only if a sufficiently wide range of Malay and Malayic speech-varieties, both ancient and modern, are brought to bear on the discussion. The different meanings and functions associated with the various prefixes are motivated by the different semantic concerns engendered by the social and cultural circumstances peculiar to each of the varieties.

Ethnolects and registers in Malaysian spoken vernaculars

Elena Kkese (ed.) 2023, Revisiting second language sociolinguistics: Case studies from across the globe, pp. 180-202. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing., 2023

Background. The multi-ethnic situation in Malaysia translates into a multilingualism with ethnic vernaculars and high convergence between the varieties, including spoken English, Malay, Chinese, and South-Sinitic idioms (disregarding many other languages here). Loanwords, syntactic structures and shared function words lead to communicative practices termed bahasa rojak ('language mix'). Material and method. In order to assess ethnolectal differences in the use of shared languages, the Malay function word kena is analyzed in the speech of ethnic Malays and Chinese, both in Bazaar Malay / Colloquial Malay / Baba Malay and in English. Analysis. Kena serves two functions, (a) as a modal verb 'must', (b) as a passive marker. It is used by Malays and Chinese in Bazaar Malay, but with some usage differences based on slightly different semantic interpretations of the word. For Chinese speakers, an alternative passive with the verb 'give' or 'kasi' is transferred onto English and Malay, respectively, obviously from a South Sinitic construction, but Malay speakers don't use this structure. Conclusions. It seems that spoken Malay and English are influenced by the longstanding presence of South Sinitic varieties. The two ethnic groups show small ethnolectal differences when speaking Malay or English. Due to the influence of education, younger speakers seem to reverse the achieved convergence to some degree in favor of the standard forms of the languages involved.

Modalities in Riau Malay Dialect of East Kampar

ABSTRACT : Humans as social activities communicate in everyday life. Language plays an important role in communicating and interacting. The language spoken by a person cannot be separated from behavior and beliefs. The behaviors and beliefs that a person speaks in interactions are known as modalities. Indonesian has various elements that can be used to describe modalities. Indonesia as a multilingual country has a variety of regional languages. One of the regional languages in Indonesia is Malay. Malay plays an important role in Indonesian because of the variety of languages. This study aims to discuss and describe the types and functions of modalities in the Riau Malay dialect of East Kampar. The results of this study indicate that the Riau Malay dialect of Kampar contains 4 types of modalities which include intentional, epistemic, deontic and dynamic modalities. The results also show that the Riau Malay dialect of Kampar contains 3 modalities functions, namely expressive, directive and informational functions. KEYWORDS :modalities, function, riau malay language, dialect, east kampar

"Cultural Scripts" and Communicative Style in Malay (Bahasa Melayu)

Anthropological linguistics, 2000

The “cultural scripts” approach is a descriptive technique which has grown out of the cross-cultural semantic theory of Anna Wierzbicka. The paper uses this technique to describe and make sense of aspects of Malay communicative style. The proposed Malay cultural scripts are linked with the importance placed on appropriate (patut, sesuai) behaviour and on nasihat ‘advice’, and on the need to balas budi (roughly) ‘return good treatment’, to jaga hati orang ‘look after people’s feelings’, and to menghormati ‘show respect, deference’ [cross-cultural pragmatics, ethnography of communication, Malay]

(2015), ‘Malay youth language in West Malaysia.’ Nusa 58: 25-49.

This paper typologises the sociolect of 'young people' -in the broadest sense of the word -in West Malaysia. The focus is on speakers of colloquial Malay, a language variety which is itself poorly documented. Linguistic scholarship has thus far prioritised the standardised Malay variety promoted by language planners and, more recently, regional dialects. Sociolects and contact varieties have received relatively scant attention, especially in Malaysia. I start by situating the Malay youth language in Malaysia's language ecology. The next three sections describe, respectively, three distinctive lexico-semantic characteristics of this youth language: common processes of shortening words, semantic innovation, and the influence from languages in contact, including English and Chinese varieties. The final section addresses the ways in which young speakers of colloquial Malay write down their language informally. Throughout this paper, I will compare the Malay youth language used in West Malaysia with its much better known Indonesian equivalent.

Cultural values and [] cultural scripts' of Malay (Bahasa Melayu)

Journal of Pragmatics, 1997

This paper documents some Malay 'rules of speaking' and articulates their connections with Malay cultural values, using the new theory of 'cultural scripts' developed by Anna Wierzbicka. Aspects of the prefen'ed Malay discourse style, which is normally described as refined, restrained, and charming, are shown to be linked with the Malay social emotion of malu 'shame, propriety', with the personal qualities of maruah 'dignity' and harga diri 'selfesteem', and with the ideal of senang hati '(lit.) easy heart'. It is argued that the cultural scripts approach enhances descriptive accuracy, helps reduce ethnocentricism, and facilitates the integration of pragmatics and cultural semantics.