Malay

See also: Malay.

English

Etymology

Recorded in English since 1598; from Malay Melayu, from Malayu, a kingdom on Sumatra's eastern coast (today's Jambi), mentioned by the Chinese Monk Yijing as 末羅瑜國 and during the Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties as 木剌由 (Bok-la-yu or Mok-la-yu), 麻里予兒 (Ma-li-yu-er), 巫來由 (Wu-lai-yu) and 無來由 (Wu-lai-yu). The oldest known inscriptions in the Malay language were found at Kedukan Bukit and Talang Tuo, both in the vicinity of Palembang in southern Sumatra, and at Kota Kapur on Bangka island west of Sumatra. They are respectively dated 673, 684 and 686. Exonymous derivation from Malayalam മല (mala, “mountain”) has not been demonstrated. Possibly from Javanese mlayu (“to run”), refering to the Austronesian habit of migrating long distances by canoe, and which is apparently a variation of لاري (لاري, “lari”) (to run), from Proto-Malayic *lari, from Proto-Malayo-Chamic *lari, from Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan *lari, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *laʀiw, from Proto-Austronesian *laʀiw.

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /məˈleɪ/, /meɪˈleɪ/
Audio (Southern England) (file)
(US) IPA^(key): /ˈmeɪleɪ/, /məˈleɪ/
Rhymes: -eɪ
Homophone: melee

Adjective

Malay (not comparable)

Of or relating to the Malays, a people living in Brunei, on the eastern coast of Sumatra, the islands of Bangka and Belitung, the Riau archipelago and the coastal areas of Kalimantan in Indonesia, in most of Malaysia (states where they are politically dominant), in Singapore and in the southernmost provinces of Thailand.
- 2008, Preeta Samarasan, Evening is the Whole Day, Fourth Estate, page 124:
  “I heard the Malay fellas talking at the office.”
(usage generally frowned upon by Malays and Malaysians) Of or related to Malaysia, its people and/or culture.
In, of or otherwise relating to the languages spoken by Malays.

Derived terms

Deutero-Malay
Malay apple
Proto-Malay

Translations

of the Malay people

Armenian: մալայական (hy) (malayakan)
Belarusian: мала́йскі (malájski)
Bulgarian: мала́йски (malájski)
Burmese: ပသျှူး (my) (pa.hsyu:), မလေး (ma.le:)
Catalan: malai (ca) m, malaia (ca) f
Chinese:
Mandarin: 馬來人的／马来人的 (zh) (Mǎláirén de)
Czech: malajský (cs)
Danish: malaysisk (da), malajisk (da)
Dutch: Maleis (nl), Maleisisch (nl)
Finnish: malaiji- (fi), malaijien (fi)
French: malais (fr)
German: malaiisch
Greek: της Μαλαισίας f (tis Malaisías) (genitive of Malaya)
Hungarian: maláj (hu)
Icelandic: malajískur
Indonesian: Melayu (id), orang Melayu
Khmer: ជ្វា (km) (cviə), ម៉ាឡេ (maalee)
Macedonian: малајски (malajski)
Malay: orang Melayu, Melayu
Norwegian:
Mon: ပရှူး
Nepali: मलायी (malāyī)
Bokmål: malayisk (no), malaysisk
Nynorsk: malayisk, malaysisk (nn)
Persian: مالایی‎ (Mâlâyi)
Polish: malajski (pl) m
Portuguese: malaio (pt) m, malásio
Russian: мала́йский (ru) (malájskij)
Scottish Gaelic: Malaidheach
Semai: Gòp
Slovak: malajský
Slovene: malajski
Spanish: malayo (es)
Tagalog: Malayo
Thai: มลายู (má-laa-yuu)
Ukrainian: мала́йський (malájsʹkyj)

of or pertaining to Malaysia

Catalan: malaisi (ca) m, malàisia (ca) f
Chinese:
Mandarin: 馬來西亞的／马来西亚的 (zh) (Mǎláixīyà de)
Czech: malajský (cs)
Danish: malaysisk (da), malajisk (da)
Dutch: Maleisisch (nl)
Finnish: malesialainen (fi)
French: malais (fr)
German: malaiisch
Hungarian: maláj (hu)
Icelandic: malasískur
Macedonian: малајски (malajski)
Malay: Malaysia (ms)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: malayisk (no), malaysisk
Nynorsk: malayisk, malaysisk (nn)
Persian: مالزیایی‎ (Mâleziyâyi)
Portuguese: malaio (pt), malásio
Russian: мала́йский (ru) (malájskij)
Scottish Gaelic: Malaidheach
Slovak: malajský
Spanish: malayo (es)
Tagalog: Malayo

in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language

Catalan: malai (ca) m, malaia (ca) f
Chinese:
Mandarin: 馬來語的／马来语的 (zh) (Mǎláiyǔ de)
Danish: malaysisk (da), malajisk (da)
Dutch: Maleis (nl)
Finnish: malaijinkielinen
French: malais (fr)
Hawaiian: ʻōlelo Malaia
Icelandic: malajískur
Indonesian: bahasa Melayu (id)
Malay: bahasa Melayu
Norwegian:
Bokmål: malayisk (no), malaysisk
Nynorsk: malayisk, malaysisk (nn)
Persian: مالایی‎ (Mâlâyi)
Portuguese: malaio (pt)
Spanish: malayo (es)
Tagalog: Malayo

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Afrikaans: ^{(please verify)} Maleis (af)
Albanian: ^{(please verify)} Malajzian
Amharic: ^{(please verify)} ማላይኛ (malayña)
Arabic: ^{(please verify)} ماليزيَة‎ f
Basque: ^{(please verify)} malaysiera (eu)
Belarusian: (malozijskaja) ^{(please verify)} малозійская (malózijskaja)
Bulgarian: (malajski) ^{(please verify)} малайски (malajski)
Cherokee: (Mele) ^{(please verify)} ᎺᎴ (chr) (mele)
Estonian: ^{(please verify)} Malai
Georgian: (malaiziuri) ^{(please verify)} მალაიზიური (malaiziuri)
Hebrew: (malaya) ^{(please verify)} מלאית‎
Hindi: ^{(please verify)} मलय (hi) (malay)
Korean: (malei-eo) ^{(please verify)} 말레이어 (ko) (malleieo)
Latvian: ^{(please verify)} Malajiešu
Lithuanian: ^{(please verify)} Malajiečių, ^{(please verify)} Malajietiškai
Macedonian: (maleziski) ^{(please verify)} Малезиски (Maleziski)
Maltese: ^{(please verify)} Malazjan, ^{(please verify)} Malajan
Moksha: ^{(please verify)} малайень (malajenʹ)
Mongolian: (malayz) ^{(please verify)} малайз (malajz)
Occitan: ^{(please verify)} malai
Persian: ^{(please verify)} مالزیایی‎ (maleziyayi)
Romanian: ^{(please verify)} malaeză
Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} Malajski
Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} малезијски, ^{(please verify)} malezijski (sh)
Slovene: ^{(please verify)} Malajščina
Swahili: ^{(please verify)} Kimalaysia, ^{(please verify)} Kimalasia
Swedish: ^{(please verify)} malajiska (sv)
Tamil: ^{(please verify)} மலேசியன் (malēciyaṉ)
Tatar: ^{(please verify)} малай (tt) (malay)
Thai: ^{(please verify)} ภาษามาเลย์ (th) (paasăa maalay)
Turkish: ^{(please verify)} Malezyaca
Ukrainian: ^{(please verify)} малайський (malajsʹkyj)
Urdu: ^{(please verify)} مالائ‎ (malāī)
Walloon: ^{(please verify)} Malay
Welsh: ^{(please verify)} Malai
West Frisian: ^{(please verify)} Maleisk (fy)

Noun

Malay (countable and uncountable, plural Malays)

(countable) A person of Malay ancestry, referring to a diverse group of Austronesian peoples inhabiting the Malay archipelago and Malay peninsula in Southeast Asia.
Type of mild curry made with yoghurt and fruit, usually pineapple or lychee.
She ordered chicken Malay with rice.
(uncountable) The Malay language, an Austronesian language spoken by most Malay people and by others where it is an official language, including under the name Indonesian.
(uncountable) The Malay language, an Austronesian language spoken by most Malay people and by others where it is an official language, excluding the national standard known as Indonesian.

Synonyms

(language) Bahasa, Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesia

Related terms

Malaya
Malayan
Malaysia

Translations

Malay person

Armenian: մալայացի (malayacʿi)
Catalan: malai (ca) m, malaia (ca) f
Chinese:
Mandarin: 馬來人／马来人 (zh) (Mǎláirén)
Czech: Malajec m
Danish: malaysier, malaj
Dutch: Maleier (nl) m
Esperanto: malajo (man or woman), malajino (woman)
Finnish: malaiji (fi)
French: Malais (fr) m, Malaise (fr) f
German: Malaiie m, Malaiin (de) f
Greek: Μαλαισιανός m (Malaisianós), * Greek: Μαλαισιανή f (Malaisianí)
Hungarian: maláj (hu)
Icelandic: Malaji m
Indonesian: Melayu (id), orang Melayu
Kazakh: малай (malai)
Macedonian: Малаец m (Malaec), Малајка f (Malajka)
Malay: orang Melayu
Maltese: Malajan m
Norwegian:
Bokmål: malay m
Nynorsk: malay m
Persian: مالایی‎ (Mâlâyi)
Polish: Malaj m, Malajka (pl) f
Portuguese: malaio (pt) m, malásio m
Russian: мала́ец (ru) m (malájec), мала́йка (ru) f (malájka)
Scottish Gaelic: Malaidheach m
Slovak: Malajec m
Spanish: malayo (es) m
Tagalog: Malayo
Turkish: Malezyalı (tr)

type of curry

the Malay language

Arabic: لُغَة مِلَايُو‎ f (luḡat milāyū)
Armenian: մալայերեն (hy) (malayeren)
Basque: malaiera (eu)
Catalan: malai (ca) m
Chinese:
Cantonese: 馬來話, 马来话 (maa⁵ loi⁴ waa^6-2), 馬拉話, 马拉话 (maa⁵ laai¹ waa^6-2)
Hakka: 馬來語, 马来语 (Mâ-lòi-ngî)
Mandarin: 馬來語／马来语 (zh) (Mǎláiyǔ)
Min Nan: 馬來語, 马来语 (Má-lâi-gí, Má-lâi-gú)
Czech: malajština (cs) f
Dutch: Maleis (nl) n
Esperanto: Malaja
Finnish: malaiji (fi)
French: malais (fr) m
German: Malaiisch (de) n
Greek: μαλαισιανά n pl (malaisianá)
Hungarian: maláj (hu)
Icelandic: malajíska (is) f
Indonesian: bahasa Melayu (id), Melayu (id)
Irish: Malaeis f
Italian: malese (it) m
Japanese: マレー語 (ja) (marēgo)
Kazakh: малай тілі (malai tılı)
Korean: 말레이어 (ko) (malleieo), 마인어 (maineo)
Latin: Malaicum, Malaeorum
Macedonian: малајски m (malajski)
Malay: bahasa Melayu
Manx: Malayish f
Navajo: Maléízha bizaad
Norwegian:
Bokmål: malayisk (no) m
Nynorsk: malayisk m
Persian: زبان مالایی‎ (zabân-e Mâlâyi)
Polish: malajski (pl)
Portuguese: malaio (pt) m
Russian: мала́йский язы́к (ru) m (malájskij jazýk), мала́йский (ru) m (malájskij)
Scottish Gaelic: Malaidhis f
Spanish: malayo (es) m
Swedish: malajiska (sv)
Tagalog: Malayo
Thai: ภาษามาเลย์ (th) (paasăa maalây), ภาษามลายู (th)
Turkish: Malayca (tr)
Vietnamese: tiếng Mã-lai (vi), tiếng Mã lai

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked‌: "person"

Afrikaans: ^{(please verify)} Maleis (af)
Albanian: ^{(please verify)} Malajzian
Amharic: ^{(please verify)} ማላይኛ (malayña)
Arabic: ^{(please verify)} ماليزيَة‎ f
Basque: ^{(please verify)} malaysiera (eu)
Belarusian: (malozijskaja) ^{(please verify)} малозійская (malózijskaja)
Bulgarian: (malajski) ^{(please verify)} малайски (malajski)
Cherokee: (Mele) ^{(please verify)} ᎺᎴ (chr) (mele)
Danish: ^{(please verify)} malaysisk (da), ^{(please verify)} malajisk (da)
Estonian: ^{(please verify)} Malai
French: ^{(please verify)} malais (fr)
Georgian: ^{(please verify)} მალაიზიური (malaiziuri)
Hebrew: (malaya) ^{(please verify)} מלאית‎
Hindi: ^{(please verify)} मलय (hi) (malay)
Korean: (malei-eo) ^{(please verify)} 말레이어 (ko) (malleieo)
Latvian: ^{(please verify)} Malajiešu
Lithuanian: ^{(please verify)} Malajiečių, ^{(please verify)} Malajietiškai
Macedonian: (maleziski) ^{(please verify)} Малезиски (Maleziski)
Maltese: ^{(please verify)} Malazjan, ^{(please verify)} Malajan
Moksha: ^{(please verify)} малайень (malajenʹ)
Mongolian: (malayz) ^{(please verify)} малайз (malajz)
Occitan: ^{(please verify)} malai
Persian: ^{(please verify)} مالزیایی‎ (maleziyayi)
Romanian: ^{(please verify)} malaeză
Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} Malajski
Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} малезијски, ^{(please verify)} malezijski (sh)
Slovene: ^{(please verify)} Malajščina
Swahili: ^{(please verify)} Kimalaysia, ^{(please verify)} Kimalasia
Swedish: ^{(please verify)} malajiska (sv)
Tamil: ^{(please verify)} மலேசியன் (malēciyaṉ)
Tatar: (malay) ^{(please verify)} малай (tt) (malay)
Thai: ^{(please verify)} ภาษามาเลย์ (th) (paasăa maalay)
Turkish: ^{(please verify)} Malezyaca
Ukrainian: ^{(please verify)} малайський (malajsʹkyj)
Urdu: ^{(please verify)} مالائ‎ (malāī)
Walloon: ^{(please verify)} Malay
Welsh: ^{(please verify)} Malai
West Frisian: ^{(please verify)} Maleisk (fy)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked‌: "language"

Afrikaans: ^{(please verify)} Maleis (af) n
Albanian: ^{(please verify)} Malajzian
Amharic: ^{(please verify)} ማላይኛ (malayña)
Arabic: ^{(please verify)} ماليزيَة‎ f
Belarusian: (malozijskaja) ^{(please verify)} малозійская (malózijskaja)
Bulgarian: (malajski) ^{(please verify)} малайски (malajski)
Cherokee: (Mele) ^{(please verify)} ᎺᎴ (chr) (mele)
Danish: ^{(please verify)} malaysisk (da), ^{(please verify)} malajisk (da)
Estonian: ^{(please verify)} Malai
Georgian: ^{(please verify)} მალაიზიური (malaiziuri)
German: ^{(please verify)} Malaiisch (de)
Hebrew: (malaya) ^{(please verify)} מלאית‎
Hindi: ^{(please verify)} मलय (hi) (malay)
Korean: (malei-eo) ^{(please verify)} 말레이어 (ko) (malleieo)
Latvian: ^{(please verify)} Malajiešu
Lithuanian: ^{(please verify)} Malajiečių, ^{(please verify)} Malajietiškai
Macedonian: (maleziski) ^{(please verify)} Малезиски (Maleziski)
Maltese: ^{(please verify)} Malazjan, ^{(please verify)} Malajan
Moksha: ^{(please verify)} малайень (malajenʹ)
Mongolian: (malayz) ^{(please verify)} малайз (malajz)
Occitan: ^{(please verify)} malai
Persian: ^{(please verify)} مالزیایی‎ (maleziyayi)
Romanian: ^{(please verify)} malaeză
Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} Malajski
Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} малезијски, ^{(please verify)} malezijski (sh)
Slovene: ^{(please verify)} Malajščina
Spanish: ^{(please verify)} malayo (es)
Swahili: ^{(please verify)} Kimalaysia, ^{(please verify)} Kimalasia
Tamil: ^{(please verify)} மலேசியன் (malēciyaṉ)
Tatar: (malay) ^{(please verify)} малай (tt) (malay)
Thai: ^{(please verify)} ภาษามาเลย์ (th) (paasăa maalay)
Turkish: ^{(please verify)} Malezyaca
Ukrainian: ^{(please verify)} малайський (malajsʹkyj)
Urdu: ^{(please verify)} مالائ‎ (malāī)
Walloon: ^{(please verify)} Malay
Welsh: ^{(please verify)} Malai
West Frisian: ^{(please verify)} Maleisk (fy)

Anagrams

Lamay, Yamal

Tagalog

Etymology

From English Malay, from Malay Melayu. Doublet of Malayo.

Pronunciation

Hyphenation: Ma‧lay

IPA^(key): /maˈlaj/, [mɐˈlaɪ̯]

Proper noun

Malay

Malay (language)
Synonym: Malayo
A municipality of Aklan, Philippines; location of Boracay island.

Noun

Malay

Malay (person)
Synonyms: Malayo, Malaya

Adjective

Malay

Malay (pertaining to Malays)
Synonym: Malayo

Derived terms

Malaybalay

Related terms

Malaya
Malayo
Malaysia

Malay

English

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

Synonyms

Related terms

Translations

See also

Further reading

Anagrams

Tagalog

Etymology

Pronunciation

Proper noun

Noun

Adjective

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading