A Manual of the Malay language, Sir Maxwell William Edward [life changing books to read txt] 📗
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The centre of Hindu influence in Malay states would seem to have been the court. From the governing classes the use of Sanskrit expressions would gradually spread among the people. To this day there are certain Sanskrit words which are applied to royalty alone, there being native equivalents when the non-privileged classes are intended. The words putra and putrî afford an instance in point. Meaning simply “son” and “daughter” in Sanskrit, they have, from the fact of Sanskrit nomenclature having been affected at Malay courts, come to mean “prince” and “princess,” and are applied only to the sons and daughters of rajas.
At the chief seats of Hindu government, there must have been Brahmans conversant with the sacred writings, whose teaching would gradually be the means of introducing a taste for Hindu learning and literature. Bacha, to read (from bach, to speak), is Sanskrit, but tulis, to write, is a native word,12 and surat, a writing, is Arabic. Language, therefore, in this instance does not throw much light on the progress made by the Malays in the art of writing in the pre-Muhammadan stage of their history. Rock-inscriptions found in Province Wellesley and Singapore prove, however, that at some remote period an ancient Indian character was known on the Peninsula,13 though it was probably confined to religious purposes.
Crawfurd, writing in 1852, stated that Malay can be written or spoken without the least difficulty, without a word of Sanskrit or Arabic, and described the foreign elements in Malay as “extrinsic and unessential.”14 But several words of the first necessity are Sanskrit. It would be difficult to speak Malay intelligibly, while avoiding the use of the relative pronouns yang (Sansk. yas, ya, yat, who, which) and mana (Sansk. mâna, measure), or of the common auxiliary sudah (Sansk. çuddha,15 pure, acquitted), which denotes the past tense. A long list might be made of common words not included in any of the following groups, which are almost pure Sanskrit, such as bawa, to bring (vaha, bearing, carrying); kata, to say (kath, to tell, talk); biasa, accustomed (abhyâsa, reflection); langkah, to step, stride (langh, to stride over); kelahi, to fight (kalaha, quarrel); and niala, to blaze, to burn (jval). Nor is the influence of Sanskrit in Malay confined to words which have been adopted in comparative purity. An extension of the sphere of research reveals whole groups of Malay words which seem to be formed from some Sanskrit root, and to retain to some extent its signification. Thus the Sanskrit root ju (to push on, impel) may perhaps be detected in such words as juwang, to rush against; jungur, prominent, a beak; jungang, prominent (of teeth); juring, sharp, pointed; jurus, to pull, course, direction; juluk, to thrust upwards; julir, a kind of harpoon; julur, to wag, to wriggle; &c.
Ap is a common termination of Malay words, e.g., tangkap, to seize; chakap, to speak; silap, to mistake, &c. The presence of the Sanskrit root âp (to attain, obtain) is not indeed to be assumed in every case, but it is difficult to resist the conviction that it does form a part of many Malay derivations. Dapat, to obtain; rapat, to approach; asap, smoke (cf. vyâpta); awap, steam; tangkap, to seize, grasp; alap (Jav.), to take; are instances which, among others, might be cited.
Gal (Sansk., to drop, to distil, percolate, to fall) is another root which seems to enter into the composition of Malay words, e.g., tanggal, to fall off, to drop out; tinggal, to leave, forsake; tunggal, solitary; panggal, to chop off, a portion chopped off. Compare also gali, to dig; tenggalam, to sink; tugal, to sow rice by putting seeds into holes made with a sharp stick; galah, a pole; gala-gala, pitch.
If it be correct to assign a Sanskrit origin to all or any of these words, they belong to a much earlier epoch than the comparatively pure Sanskrit words, the importation of which into Malay is the subject now under discussion.
The presence of Sanskrit words in the Malay language was first remarked by Sir William Jones,16 and the subject received more attention at the hands of Marsden, who gives a short list of fifteen words, “taken, with little pains in the selection, from a Malayan dictionary.”17 Many of the Sanskrit words are, as Marsden observes, “such as the progress of civilisation must soon have rendered necessary, being frequently expressive of the feelings of the mind, or denoting those ordinary modes of thought which result from the social habits of mankind, or from the evils that tend to interrupt them.” This assertion might have been put in more forcible terms had it occurred to the author to include not only words expressive of thought and feelings, but even some signifying natural objects, though doubtless most of these are expressed by aboriginal words. Hari, day, is clearly identical with the Sanskrit hari, “the sun,” which is also used as a name of Vishnu or Krishna. Mata-hari, the sun (Malay), is thus “the eye of Hari,” and is a compound formed of the native word mata and the Sanskrit hari. Halilintar, a thunderbolt, seems to be compounded similarly of hari and lontar (to hurl), “hurled by Hari.” Here the r has been softened into l. The Sanskrit kapala has almost entirely superseded the use of the old native word ulu or hulu, the head; the latter, however, is found in composition with a Sanskrit word in the substantive hulubalang, a war-chief, from hulu, head, and bala, an army.
The extent to which the Malays are indebted to Sanskrit for words to express the human body and members is shown in the following list:—
English. Malay. Sanskrit. Other Languages18 The body salîra çarîraJ. sarira; Bat. sorira.
Limb, member, body
anggûta angga J. ongga.Form, appearance
rûpa rûpaJ., S., Bat., Mak., and Bu. rupa.
Joint sendi saṃdhiS. sandi; D. sandik, bound; Tag. and Bis. sandig, unite.
Head kapâlakapâla (the skull)
J., S., D., Mak. kapala, chief; Bat. kapala, thick.
Tongue lîdahlih (to lick), lîdha (licked)
J. lidah; Bat. dila; Mak. and Bu. lila; D. jela; Tag. and Bis. dila.
Pulse nâdînâḍî (artery, vein, intestine)
Shoulder bâhûbâhu (the arm)
J. bahu; S. and D. baha.
Hair of the body
rôma roman Foot pâda pâda Kw. pada.Time and its division and measurement have supplied a number of Sanskrit terms to the Malay language, most of which are so necessary in everyday life that it is difficult to conceive the poverty of a dialect which contained no words to express them. The following list contains the greater number of them:—
English. Malay. Sanskrit. Other Languages. Time kâla, kâli kâla J. and S. kala. When tatkâlatad (this) kâla
Time, period
katikaghatikâ (a division of time)
Bat. katika; D. katika.
Time, period, hour
dewâsadivasa (a day)
J. diwasa, adult; Mak. rewusa.
Just now tâdîtad (this, that)
S. tadi. Day hârîhari (the sun)
J. and B. hari.
Day dîna dina J. dina. Dawn dînahârîfrom dina and hari
Evening, sunset
senja, or senja- kala
saṃdhyâ (twilight)
Bat. sonja; J. chandik-kala, evg. twilight.
Always santîasa nityaças J. nityasa.Old, former
sadîaFormer time
sadîa-kâlasâdhya (from sâdh, to finish, accomplish)
Continually sada-kâlasâda (perishing)
Time (when)
bîla velâTime, season, period
mâsamâsa (month)
J. and S. mangsa; Tag. masa.
Another group of Sanskrit words found in Malay is that comprising articles of commerce, weights and measures, &c. Their presence suffices without other evidence to show that for their knowledge of the commercial value of many products the East Indian islanders were indebted to traders from Hindustan, who, indeed, probably introduced not only the names of, but the use of, their weights and measures. Buah pala, the Malay phrase for the “nutmeg,” is in strictness a pleonasm, for phala signifies “fruit” in Sanskrit, as buah does in Malay.
TERMS OF COMMERCE.
English. Malay. Sanskrit. Other Languages. Nutmeg pâlaphala (fruit)
J. and S. pala. Clove lawang lavaṃga Eagle-wood găhârû aguruJ., S., and Mak. garu; D. garo, perfume.
Camphorkâpur, kâpur bârus
karpûraJ., S., and D. kapur-barus; Mak. kaporo barusu
Sandalwood chandâna chandanaJ. and S. chendana; Tag. and Bis. sandana
Musk kastûrî kastûrîJ. and S. kasturi; Mak. kasaturi; Tag, and Bis. kastoli.
Charcoal ârang aṅgâraJ. and S. areng; S. arang; Bat. agong; D. aring; Tag. and Bis. oling.
Sugar gûlaguḍa (molasses)
J., S., and D. gula; Mak. golla.
Saltpetre sandâwasaindhava (rocksalt)
J. sendawa; S. chindawa.
Silk sûtrasûtra (thread, fibre)
J. and S. sutra; Bat. suntora; Mak; and Bu. sutara; Tag. sutla.
Cotton kâpas karpâsaJ., S., and D. kapas Bat. hapas; Mak. kapasa; Bis. gapas.
Gunny-bag gônî goṇi S. goné Price harga arghaS. and Bat. harga; J. and D. rega; Mak. angga; Tag. and Bis. halaga.
Profit lâba lâbhaKw., Bat., Mak., and D. laba; Tag. and Bis. laba, increase, usury.
Scales for weighing
narâchanârâchî (a gold smith’s scales)
Kw. naracha; J. and S. traju
A bhar (native weight = 3 pikuls)
băhârabhâra (a load, a weight)
Kw. and Mak. bara 100 millions: Bis. bala, to load on the back.
A cubit hasta hasta J. and S. asta.A number, figure
ângkaaṅka (a mark, a cipher)
J. ongka; S., Mak., Bu., and D. angka.
Ten thousand
laksalaksha (100,000)
J. leksa; S., D., Tag. and Bis. laksa; Bat. loksa; Mak., lassa.
A million jûtaayuta (10,000)
J. and S. yuta.Many of the metals and most of the precious stones are known to the Malays by their Sanskrit names, even those which are found in Malay countries.
English. Malay. Sanskrit. Other Languages. Goldâmas, mas
mas (to mete, to measure)
J. emas; S. mas; Bat. omas; D. amas; Tag. and Bis. amas, gold, weight.
Gold kanchâna kânchanaKw. and S. kanchana.
Copper tambâga tâmraJ. tembaga; S. tambaga; Bat. tombaga; Mak. tambaga; Tag. and Bis. tumbaga.
Tin tîmah tîvraJ., S., and D. timah; Bat. simbora; Mak. timbera; Tag. and Bis. tingga.
Quicksilver râsa rasaJ., S., Mak., and D. rasa.
Pinchbeck suwâsasuvarchasa (brilliant)
J., S., Bat., and Mak. suwasa.
Glass kâcha kâchaJ., S., Mak., and Bu. kacha; D. kacha; and kasa; Tag. kasa, blue and green stone.
Micaâbrak19
abhra (amber, talc)
Crystal golegagolaka (globule)
Jewel, precious stone
mânî maṇi J. mani. Do. mânikam maṇikaKw. and S. manikem; Mak. manikang.
Do. kamâlakamala (lotus)
Kw. kuma‘a; Bat. humala, snake-stone.
Sapphirenîlam (nîla, blue)
nîla (blue)
J. and S. nila; Mak. nyila, blue.
Opal bidûrividûra (a mountain which produces lapis lazuli)
Ruby dalîmadâlima (pomegranate)
Jewel, brilliant
mustîkamushtika (goldsmith)
Topaze pusparâgam pushparâga Pearlmutia, mutiara
muktâJewel, precious stone
permâtaparamata (excellence)
Kw. pramati, a very beautiful object.
Jewels of five kinds
panchalôgampanchaloha (five metals)
The implements, utensils, instruments, &c., the names of which, if not the things themselves, the Malay races have borrowed from their Indian conquerors and rulers, are as follows:—
English. Malay. Sanskrit. Other Languages. A lock kunchîkunchikâ (a key)
J., S., and D. kunchi; Bat. hunsi; Mak. konchi.
A bell ganta ghaṇṭâJ. and S. genta; Bat. gonta; D. ganta; Mak. garaganta.
A water vessel kindî kuṇḍî J. and S. kendi. A net jâla jâlaJ., S., Bat., Mak., and D. jala.
A box petîpeṭî (basket, bag)
S. peti; Mak. patti; D. pati.
Name of a sword
chorakshura (a razor)
A plough tanggâla halaBat. tinggala; Mak. nangkala.
Chess châturchatur (four)
J. and S. chatur. Dice jûdîdyûta (game at dice)
J. judi; Bat. juji.
A saw gargâjî krakachaJ. graji; S. gergaji; Bat. and Mak. garagaji.
An awl jâra ârâ J. and S. jara. A coffin karandakaranda (basket)
Bat. hurondo.Royal umbrella
chatrâ chhattraSalver with a pedestal
charânacharaṇa (a foot)
S. charana; Bat. sarano; D. sarana.
A wheel jantrâyantra (an engine or machine)
J. jontra; S. jantra. Chariot râta ratha J. rata.Lyre, lute
kechâpî kachchhapiS. kachapi; Bat. husapi; D. kasapi.
Flute bangsî vançîPipe, flute
mûri muralîThe terms of adulation common in India in the mouths of inferiors addressing superiors have no equivalents in Malay. It is noticeable, however, that some of the most ordinary Malay phrases of politeness are Sanskrit. Tâbek (J. and S. tabé; Bat. santabi; Mak. tabeya; D. tabi; Tag. and Bis. tabi; Tag. santabi, to show respect), which corresponds to the Indian salaam in communications between Europeans and Malays, means properly “pardon,” and is derived from the Sanskrit kshantavya, excusable; sîla, to sit cross-legged20 (the respectful attitude indoors), is the Sanskrit çîl, to meditate, to worship; and sîla, a Malay term of politeness, which in some respects answers to our “if you please,” but which also means “to invite,” has its origin in the Sanskrit word çîla, good conduct, moral practice. The same language, too, supplies a considerable number of words denoting family and relationship:—
English. Malay. Sanskrit. Other Languages. Father âyahvayas (prime of life)
J. ayah, grandson; S. aya; Mak. aya, mother.
Brother sûdâra sodarya J. saudara. Husband swâmî svâmin Wife istrîstrî (a woman)
J. estri; S. istri. Virginânak dâra
dâra (wife), adâra (unmarried)
Kw. dara;
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