Malaio

Malaio is a term used in some Romance-language contexts to denote Malay-related things. In Portuguese and Italian, malaio can function as both an ethnonym and an adjective referring to the Malay world, people, or language. In English and many other languages, the corresponding form is Malay. Usage varies by country and language, and malaio is not commonly used in formal English-language scholarship.

The Malay ethnolinguistic group is native to Maritime Southeast Asia. Malay-speaking communities are concentrated on the Malay Peninsula, parts of Sumatra and Borneo, and in Singapore and Brunei. The term malaio may describe both the people and their language, depending on the linguistic context.

Language: The Malay languages form a branch of the Austronesian family. The most widely used standards are Bahasa Malaysia (the Malay variety used in Malaysia) and Bahasa Indonesia (the Indonesian standard, based on Malay). Other varieties include Brunei Malay and Singapore Malay. The Malay languages are typically written in Latin script today; Jawi, an Arabic script, has historical and ceremonial use.

History and culture: The Malay world developed extensive trading networks and polities such as the Malacca Sultanate and the Johor-Riau configuration. Islam became a major influence in many Malay communities. In modern usage, malaio is a regional term whose prominence varies by language and country, and in English-speaking contexts the term Malay is preferred.

See also: Malay language, Malay people, Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesia, Jawi.