Languages of Malaysia
Languages of Malaysia | |
---|---|
Foreign | English, Filipino, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese |
Signed | Malaysian Sign Language |
Keyboard layout |
The indigenous languages of Malaysia belong to the
Malaysia contains speakers of 137 living languages,[2] 41 of which are found in Peninsular Malaysia.[3] The government provides schooling at the primary level in each of the three major languages, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. Within Malay and Tamil there are a number of dialectal differences.[4] There are a number of Chinese languages native to the ethnic Han Chinese who originated from Southern China, which include Yue, Min and Hakka Chinese.
Malay
The official language of Malaysia is the "
Other indigenous languages
Citizens of
English
Malaysian English, also known as Malaysian Standard English (MySE), is a form of English derived from British English, although there is little official use of the term except with relation to education. English was used in the Parliament briefly upon independence (then as Federation of Malaya), prior to a gradual and complete transition to the Malay language, and continued to be used today for specific terminologies with permission. English, however, remains an official language in the State Legislative Assemblies and Courts of Sabah and Sarawak.[13][14][15] Malaysian English differs little from standard British English.[7]
Malaysian English also sees wide usage in business, along with Manglish, which is a colloquial form of English with heavy Malay, Chinese, and Tamil influences. Many Malaysians (particularly those who live in urban areas) are conversant in English, although some are only fluent in the Manglish form. The Malaysian government officially discourages the use of Manglish.[16] Many businesses in Malaysia conduct their transactions in English, and it is sometimes used in official correspondence.
The federal constitution provides that English would continue to serve as an official language for at least 10 years after Merdeka until the parliament provides otherwise.[17] The passage of the National Language Act re-iterated the primacy of Malay as an official language for most official purposes, however the act provides for the use of English in certain official contexts. Among these, section 5 provides that English may be used in the parliament and state assemblies with the presiding officer's permission. Article 152(3) of the constitution and sections 6–7 of the National Language Act provide that all federal and state laws must be enacted in Malay and English.
The Malaysia Agreement,[18] provided for the continued use of English in Sabah and Sarawak for any official purpose.[19] Under article 161(3) of the constitution, federal legislation affecting the use of English in Sabah and Sarawak would not become law in these states unless approved by their respective legislative assemblies. Sarawak has not adopted the National Language Act; meanwhile Sabah has amended its constitution to provide for Malay as "the official language of the state cabinet and assembly".[20]
English was the predominant language in government until 1969.
The English language is an important aspect of the legal system in the country. The
Chinese language and regiolects
As a whole, Standard Chinese (Mandarin) and its Malaysian dialect are the most widely spoken forms among Malaysian Chinese, as it is a lingua franca for Chinese who speak mutually unintelligible varieties; Mandarin is also the language of instruction in Chinese schools and an important language in business.[4]
As most Malaysian Chinese have ancestry from the southern provinces of China, various southern Chinese varieties are spoken in Malaysia (in addition to Standard Chinese (Mandarin) which originated from northern China and was introduced through the educational system. The more common forms in Peninsular Malaysia are Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, Hainanese, Teochew, and Hokchew.[12] Hokkien is mostly spoken in Penang, Kedah, Perlis, Klang, Johor, Northern Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Malacca, whereas Cantonese is mostly spoken in Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Seremban and Kuantan. In Sarawak, most ethnic Chinese speak Hokkien, Hokchew, or Hakka. Hakka predominates in Sabah except in the city of Sandakan where Cantonese is more frequently spoken despite the Hakka origins of the Chinese residing there.
As with Malaysian youths of other ethnicities, most Chinese youth are multilingual and can speak at least three languages with at least moderate fluency – Mandarin, English, and Malay, as well as their Chinese regiolect and/or the dominant Chinese regiolect in their area. However, most Chinese regiolects are losing ground to Mandarin, due to its prestige and use as the language of instruction in Chinese vernacular schools. Some parents speak exclusively in Mandarin with their children. Some of the less-spoken regiolects, such as Hainanese, are facing extinction.
Tamil
Tamil and its Malaysian dialect are used predominantly by Tamils, who form a majority of Malaysian Indians.[24] It is especially used in Peninsular Malaysia. The Education Act of 1996 regulates the use of Tamil as medium of instruction at the primary level in "national-type schools", and also entitles Tamil children to obtain Tamil classes in national primary schools and national secondary schools (which use Malay as medium of instruction), provided "it is reasonable and practicable so to do and if the parents of at least fifteen pupils in the school so request".[25][26]
Tamil-speaking immigrants to Malaysia came from two groups, Sri Lankan Tamils who spoke Sri Lankan Tamil dialects such as the Jaffna Tamil dialect, and Indian Tamils who spoke dialect from Tamil Nadu. These dialects reflected class differences, with the Sri Lankan Tamils being more educated and overseeing the Indian Tamils, who primarily served as labourers on rubber estates. These two communities with their very different dialects remained mostly separate in Malaysia, forming two separate Tamil communities. Tamil is becoming less common among the more highly educated Tamil population, being predominantly replaced by English, and in a minority by Malay. Tamil-medium schools are considered less advantageous than English-medium schools, bringing little prospect of socioeconomic advancement. While the Malaysian government provides limited support for elementary Tamil schooling, secondary school is only taught in Malay, and there are no Tamil private schools. Usage of Tamil remains common among the less educated Tamil community, who often continue to live in their own communities on or near plantations, or in urban squatter settlements.[27]
One small group of former Tamil speakers, the Chitty, almost entirely speak Malay.[27]
Other Indian languages
The
Today, there are roughly more than 200,000 Malayalam speakers in Malaysia.Other South Asian languages such as Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi, Sinhala and Telugu are also spoken.
Creoles
A small number of Malaysians have Eurasian ancestry and speak creole languages, such as the Portuguese-based Malaccan Creoles.[30] A Spanish-based creole, Zamboangueño Chavacano, has spread into Sabah from the southern Philippines.[31]
Sign languages
Sign languages include
List of languages
Native languages in Peninsular Malaysia
Native languages in Malaysian Borneo
Language | ISO 639-3 code |
Speakers | % of total population | Region | Family |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abai | – | – | 0.0000 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Bahau | bhv | 19,000 | 0.0593 | Sarawak | Kayan-Murik (Austronesian )
|
Bajaw |
bdr | 436,672 | 1.3625 | Sabah, Labuan, Sarawak | Sama-Bajaw (Austronesian )
|
Belait | beg | – | 0.0000 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Berawan | zbc, zbe, zbw | 3,600 | 0.0112 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Biatah | bth | 72,000 | 0.2247 | Sarawak | Land Dayak (Austronesian) |
Bintulu | bny | 4,200 | 0.0131 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Bonggi | bdg | 1,400 | 0.0044 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Bookan | bnb | 1,700 | 0.0053 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Brunei Malay |
kxd | – | 0.0000 | Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan | Malayic (Austronesian) |
Brunei Bisaya | bsb | 60,000 | 0.1872 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Bukar Sadong |
sdo | 49,000 | 0.1529 | Sarawak | Land Dayak (Austronesian) |
Bukitan | bkn | 860 | 0.0027 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Coastal Kadazan | kzj | 60,000 | 0.1872 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Cocos Malay | coa | 5,000 | 0.0156 | Sabah | Malay creole |
Central Dusun | dtp | 140,000 | 0.4368 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Daro-Matu | dro | 7,600 | 0.0237 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Dumpas | dmv | 1,100 | 0.0034 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Dusun | kzt, tdu, ktr | 36,000 | 0.1123 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Eastern Kadazan | dtb | 20,600 | 0.0643 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Gana' |
gnq | 1,000 | 0.0031 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Iban | iba | 790,000 | 2.4649 | Sarawak | Malayic (Austronesian) |
Ida'an | dbj | 10,000 | 0.0312 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Iranun | ilm | 22,000 | 0.0000 | Sabah | Philippine (Austronesian) |
Jagoi | sne | 29,000 | 0.0905 | Sarawak | Land Dayak (Austronesian) |
Jangkang | djo | 37,000 | 0.1154 | Sarawak | Land Dayak (Austronesian) |
Kajaman | kag | 500 | 0.0016 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Kalabakan | kve | 2,200 | 0.0069 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Kanowit | kxn | 200 | 0.0006 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Kayan (Baram) |
kys | 13,400 | 0.0418 | Sarawak | Kayan-Murik (Austronesian )
|
Kelabit | kzi | 5,963 | 0.0186 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Kendayan | knx | – | 0.0000 | Sarawak | Malayic (Austronesian) |
Keningau Murut | kxi | 7,000 | 0.0218 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Kinabatangan | dmg, ruu, low | 10,000 | 0.0312 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )-
|
Kimaragang | kqr | – | 0.0000 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Kiput | kyi | 2,500 | 0.0078 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Klias River Kadazan | kqt | 1,000 | 0.0031 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Kota Marudu Talantang | grm | 1,800 | 0.0056 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Kuijau | dkr | 7,910 | 0.0247 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Lahanan | lhn | 350 | 0.0011 | Sarawak | Melanau-Kajang (Austronesian )
|
Lelak | llk | extinct | 0.0000 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Lengilu | lgi | 3 | 0.0000 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Lotud | dtr | 20,000 | 0.0624 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Lun Bawang | lnd | 16,000 | 0.0499 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Lundayeh | xkl | 9,125 | 0.0285 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Mainstream Kenyah | xkl | 50,000 | 0.1560 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Maranao | mrw | – | 0.0000 | Sabah | Philippine (Austronesian) |
Melanau | mel, sdx | 110,000 | 0.3432 | Sarawak | Melanau-Kajang (Austronesian )
|
Minokok | mqq | 2,000 | 0.0062 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Molbog | pwm | 6,700 | 0.0209 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Murik Kayan | mxr | 1,120 | 0.0035 | Sarawak | Kayan-Murik (Austronesian )
|
Narom | nrm | 2,420 | 0.0076 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Nonukan Tidong |
tid | 20,000 | 0.0624 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Okolod | kqv | 5,000 | 0.0156 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Paluan | plz | 5,500 | 0.0172 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Papar | dpp | 500 | 0.0016 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Penan | pez, pne | 13,000 | 0.0406 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Punan Batu | pnm | 30 | 0.0001 | Sarawak | Melanau-Kajang (Austronesian )
|
Remun | lkj | 3,500 | 0.0109 | Sarawak | Malayic (Austronesian) |
Rungus | drg | 60,000 | 0.1872 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Sa'ban | snv | 2,000 | 0.0062 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Sabah Bisaya |
bsy | 21,000 | 0.0655 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Sabah Malay |
msi | – | 0.0000 | Sabah | Malay creole |
Sama |
ssb, sml, sse | 80,000 | 0.0000 | Sabah | Sama-Bajaw (Austronesian )
|
Sarawak Malay | — | 600,000 | 1.8721 | Sarawak | Malayic (Austronesian) |
Sebop | sib | 1,730 | 0.0054 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Sekapan | skp | 750 | 0.0023 | Sarawak | Melanau-Kajang (Austronesian )
|
Selungai Murut | slg | 1,200 | 0.0037 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Sembakung | sbr | 2,000 | 0.0062 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Seru | szd | extinct | 0.0000 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Serudung | srk | 350 | 0.0011 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Sian | spg | 50 | 0.0002 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Sungai | abf | 500 | 0.0016 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Sugut Dusun | kzs | 240,000 | 0.7488 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Tatana' |
txx | 21,000 | 0.0655 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Tausug | tsg | 209,000 | 0.6521 | Sabah | Philippine (Austronesian) |
Tagol | mvv | 50,000 | 0.1560 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Timugon | tih | 9,000 | 0.0281 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Tombonuwo | txa | 13,000 | 0.0406 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Tring | tgq | 550 | 0.0017 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Tringgus | trx | 850 | 0.0027 | Sabah | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Tutoh | ttw | 600 | 0.0019 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Ukit | umi | 120 | 0.0004 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Uma' Lasan |
xky | 6,000 | 0.0187 | Sarawak | North Bornean (Austronesian )
|
Other languages recognised as Native
Estimated number of speakers in Malaysia as of 2019:
Language | Code | Speakers | Family |
---|---|---|---|
Acehnese | ace | 84,000 | Chamic (Austronesian) |
Banjarese |
bjn | 26,000 | Malayic (Austronesian) |
Buginese | bug | 143,000 | South Sulawesi (Austronesian) |
Cham | cja | 13,000 | Chamic (Austronesian) |
Javanese | jav | 661,000 | Javanese (Austronesian) |
Kerinci | kvr | Malayic (Austronesian) | |
Mandailing | btm | 31,000 | Northwest Sumatra–Barrier Islands (Austronesian) |
Minangkabau | min | 931,000 | Malayic (Austronesian) |
Malaysian Chinese languages
The estimated numbers of speakers of Chinese languages in Malaysia as of 2019 are as follows:
Language | ISO 639-3 code |
Speakers | Family |
---|---|---|---|
Cantonese | yue | 1,443,000 | Sino-Tibetan |
Foochow | 260,000 | Sino-Tibetan | |
Hakka | hak | 1,787,000 | Sino-Tibetan |
Hainanese | nan | 405,000 | Sino-Tibetan |
Hokkien | nan | 1,966,000 | Sino-Tibetan |
Mandarin | cmn | 1,019,000 | Sino-Tibetan |
Min Bei | mnp | 397,000 | Sino-Tibetan |
Teochew | nan | 1,038,000 | Sino-Tibetan |
Malaysian Indian languages
Estimated number of speakers in Malaysia as of 2019:
Language | Code | Speakers | Family |
---|---|---|---|
Gujarati | guj | 29,000 | Indo-European |
Hindi |
hin | 59,000 | Indo-European |
Bengali | Ben | 81,000 | Indo-European |
Malayalam |
mal | 344,000 | Dravidian |
Punjabi | pan | 69,000 | Indo-European |
Tamil | tam | 1,856,000 | Dravidian |
Telugu | tel | 117,000 | Dravidian |
Urdu |
urd | 15,000 | Indo-European |
Foreign languages
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "In Personam: Malay Language Usage in the Malaysian Courts". www.in-personam.com. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
- ^ "Languages of Malaysia". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
- ^ "Languages of Malaysia (Peninsular)". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f Kamila Ghazali (2010). "National Identity and Minority Languages". UN Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ^ Constitution of Malaysia:Article 152
- ^ ISBN 0700712860.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-61451-389-6.
- ^ Collins, James T. (1989). "Malay Dialect Research in Malaysia: The Issue of Perspective". Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde. 145 (2/3): 235–264.
- ^ ]
- ISBN 0-7007-1286-0.
- ^ a b Luke Rintod (30 November 2010). "Speak Up, Native Language Champions urged". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ^ a b "Malaysia" (listed as "Foochow" there). Cia.gov. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
- ^ "My Constitution: Sabah, Sarawak and special interests". Malaysian Bar. 2 February 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
English has been the official language of the State Legislative Assemblies and Courts in Sabah and Sarawak since Malaysia Day, Sept 16, 1963. Any change of the official language to Bahasa Melayu can only become effective when the State Legislative Assembly of Sabah or Sarawak agrees to adopt federal laws that make Bahasa Melayu the official language.
- ^ "Article 32 of the National Language Act Has No Legal Effect in Sarawak". Dayak Daily. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- ^ "S'wak Govt Never Agreed to Change Present Policy on English Usage". Borneo Post. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- ^ Zimmer, Benjamin (5 October 2006). "Malaysia Cracks Down on "Salad Language"". Language Log. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
- ^ Constitution, article 152(2)
- ^ which provided for North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore joining the Federation of Malaya
- ^ Malaysia Agreement, section 61(2)
- ^ Sabah Constitution, article 11a
- ^ "Math and Science Back to Bahasa, Mother Tongues". The Star Online. 8 July 2009. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
- ^ Mohd Farhan Darwis (12 November 2013). "Dr Mahathir Calls for Science and Maths to Be Taught in English, Again". The Malaysian Insider. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ "PAGE Hands in Second Memorandum". The Star Online. 9 July 2010. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced last year that the policy of Teaching of Mathematics and Science in English (known by its Malay acronym, PPSMI) would be scrapped from 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-8160-7109-8.
- ^ Act 550 – Education Act 1996 (PDF) – via UNESCO.
- ^ Kamila Ghazali (2010). "National Identity and Minority Languages". UN Chronicle. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- ^ a b Schiffman, Harold F. (1995). "Language Shift in the Tamil Communities of Malaysia and Singapore: The Paradox of Egalitarian Language Policy". Language Loss and Public Policy. 14 (1–2).
- ^ "Malayali, Malayalam in Malaysia". Joshua Project.
- ISBN 978-1-137-45553-6.
- JSTOR 30027570.
- ISBN 978-90-272-5255-5.
- ^ a b c "Malaysia". Joshua Project.
Further reading
- Asmah Haji Omar, ed. (2016). Languages in the Malaysian Education System: Monolingual Strands in Multilingual Settings. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-315-66947-2.
External links
- Languages of Malaysia at Muturzikin.com
- borneodictionary.com - Dictionary of Borneo Languages