Malayspeaking

Malayspeaking refers to the use and study of Malay language varieties by communities that speak Malay as a first or second language. It encompasses native speakers of Malay as well as others who adopt Malay as a lingua franca across Southeast Asia and in diaspora communities.

Malay is an Austronesian language in the West Malayic branch. The major standardized forms are Bahasa Melayu (used in Malaysia and Brunei), Bahasa Malaysia (Malaysia), and Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesia). The standard varieties are largely mutually intelligible, with differences in vocabulary, spelling, and some grammatical conventions. Local dialects of Malay can show notable variation in pronunciation and usage.

Geographic scope: Malay is dominant in Malaysia and Brunei, and is widely used across Malaysia’s education system and media. Bahasa Indonesia forms the national language of Indonesia and the main medium of instruction and public discourse there. Malay also operates as a lingua franca in southern Thailand’s Malay-speaking regions, parts of the Malay archipelago, and among overseas Malay-speaking communities.

Writing systems: Malay is presently written primarily in the Latin script. Jawi, an Arabic script, has historical and ceremonial usage and is taught in certain contexts and communities.

Sociolinguistic features: The language exhibits diglossia with English and other local languages in urban settings. It has absorbed loanwords from Arabic, English, Dutch, Sanskrit, Chinese, and other languages. Code-switching and varying registers are common in everyday speech and formal communication.

Institutions and standardization: In Malaysia, the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka oversees Malay language standards; in Indonesia, Badan Bahasa plays a similar role. In Singapore, Malay is one of the four official languages and is widely used in government, education, and media.