List of English words of Malay origin: Difference between revisions

Loan words from Malay in English

Amok

('berserk'), as in 'to run amok'

Bamboo

from bambu

Caddy

from kati (a measurement unit, whereby 1 kati = approximately 600 g)

Cockatoo

from kakak or sister and tua or older (burung kakaktua lit. the elder sister bird))

Compound (enclosed group of buildings)

by folk etymology from kampung or 'village'

Cooties

from kutu, 'lice'

Dammar

from damar, 'resin; resin obtained from various mainly Indo-Malaysian trees, used to make varnish.'

Dugong

from duyung, 'mermaid'

Durian

from duri 'thorns', hence durian, 'thorny'

Gingham

from ginggang

Gutta-percha

(a type of tree whose sap is used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber) from getah, 'rubber' and perca, 'scrap/piece'; hence getah perca, 'a scrap/piece of rubber'

Junk (type of boat)

from jong

Kapok

from kapuk, 'a fine fibrous substance which grows around the seeds of a ceiba or silk-cotton tree, used as stuffing for cushions'

Kapur

from kapur a large tropical tree which yields light brown wood, edible fruit, and camphor [Genus Dryobalanops.]

Kris (also archaic 'creese')

from keris, 'a Malay/Indonesian dagger with a wavy-edged blade'

Meranti

from meranti, 'white, red, or yellow hardwood from a SE Asian tree (genus Shorea)'

Merbau

from merbau, 'the hardwood of a SE Asian tree (genus Intsia)'

Orangutan

from orang hutan or 'people of the jungle'

paddy

as in 'paddy-field' or 'rice paddy', from padi, referring to the rice plant Oryza sativa.

Pandanus

from pandan, 'a tropical tree or shrub with a twisted stem, long spiny leaves, and fibrous edible fruit.[Genus Pandanus.]'

Pangolin

from pengguling, 'one that rolls/curls'

Parang

from parang, 'a Malayan machete',

Proa (also 'prahu' or 'prau')

from perahu, 'a Malaysian or Indonesian sailing boat, typically having a large triangular sail and an outrigger'

Rambutan

from rambut 'hair', hence rambutan, 'hairy'

Sarong

from sarung, 'wrap/sheath'

See also

• Lists of English words of international origin
• The category of words with Malay derivations at Wiktionary, Wikipedia's sister project