A Manual of the Malay language by Sir Maxwell William Edward (free reads .TXT) 📕
Another characteristic list of words might be made, compounded with the monosyllable tang (which in Sakai and Semang means "hand"), and conveying an idea of seizing or holding.
Tang-an the hand. Tang-kap to seize. Tang-kei a stalk. Tang-gong to support. Tang-gal to drop off (having left hold). Tong-kat a walking-stick, &c.
The history of the Malay people is to be discovered in the language itself, for no authentic records of pre-Muhammadan times exist. Just as an insight into the early history of our own nation may be obtained by analysing the component parts of the English tongue, and assigning to each of the languages which have contributed to make it what it is their due proportion of influence, so, by resolving the Malay language into its separate elements, of which native, Sanskrit, and Arabic are the chief, and by examining the words contributed by each, it is possible to follow with some approach to historical
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The numerals in Malay are exceedingly simple. The first ten are:—
1. sa, satu, suatu, one.
2. dua, two.
3. tiga, three.
4. ampat, four.
5. lima, five.
6. anam, six.
7. tujoh, seven.
8. dĕlapan, eight.
9. sambilan, nine.
10. sapuloh, ten.
From eleven to nineteen inclusive the numerals are formed from the digits with the termination bĕlas:—
11. sa-bĕlas, eleven.
12. dua-bĕlas, twelve.
13. tiga-bĕlas, thirteen.
14. ampat-bĕlas, fourteen.
15. lima-bĕlas, fifteen.
16. anam-bĕlas, sixteen.
17. tujoh-bĕlas, seventeen.
18. dĕlapan-bĕlas, eighteen.
19. sambilan-bĕlas, nineteen.
20. dua-puloh, twenty.
Multiples of ten up to ninety inclusive have the termination puloh, ten:—
20. dua-puloh, twenty.
30. tiga-puloh, thirty.
40. ampat-puloh, forty.
50. lima-puloh, fifty.
60. anam-puloh, sixty.
70. tujoh-puloh, seventy.
80. dĕlapan-puloh, eighty.
90. sambilan-puloh, ninety.
The intermediate numbers are formed simply by adding the units; as—
21. dua-puloh-satu, twenty-one.
32. tiga-puloh-dua, thirty-two.
43. ampat-puloh-tiga, forty-three.
54. lima-puloh-ampat, fifty-four.
65. anam-puloh-lima, sixty-five.
76. tujoh-puloh-anam, seventy-six.
87. dĕlapan-puloh-tujoh, eighty-seven.
98. sambilan-puloh-dĕlapan, ninety-eight.
Above a hundred the numbers proceed with equal regularity:—
100. sa-ratus, one hundred.
200. dua-ratus, two hundred.
300. tiga-ratus, three hundred.
400. ampat-ratus, four hundred.
1000. sa-ribu, one thousand.
2000. dua-ribu, two thousand.
3000. tiga-ribu, three thousand.
4000. ampat-ribu, four thousand.
Any sum, however great, may be expressed by the numerals in juxtaposition without the insertion of a conjunction; as, sa-ribu-dĕlapan-ratus-tujoh-puloh-sambilan, one thousand eight hundred (and) seventy nine, 1879.
Certain terms for high numbers have been borrowed from the Sanskrit language and misapplied in adoption, namely, laḳsa (Sansk. laksha, 100,000), keti (Sansk. koṭi, 10,000,000), and juta (Sansk. ayuta, 10,000).
The numbers represented by these words in Malay are sa-laḳsa, ten thousand; sa-keti, one hundred thousand; sa-juta, one million.
In reckoning the numbers from 20 to 30, lekor, a score, is sometimes used instead of dua-puloh (especially in mentioning dates), but in that case the unit precedes instead of following the decimal; as sa-lekor, twenty-one; dua-lekor, twenty-two; tiga-lekor, twenty-three, &c.
To express a quantity which approaches what we call a round number, it is sometimes convenient to state the latter qualified by the figure in which it is deficient, as is done in the old-fashioned phrase “forty stripes save one.” Thus, instead of sambilan-puloh-dĕlapan, ninety-eight, the phrase korang dua sa-ratus, one hundred save two, may be used.
The use of the word tengah, half, before a numeral serves in the same way to reduce it by half of one. Thus, tengah dua signifies “one and a half,” or “two, less half a one,” as if the full phrase were korang sa-tengah dua; so tengah tiga-puloh, twenty-five (lit. “three tens save half”); tengah lima ratus, four hundred and fifty (lit. “five hundreds save half”).
Ordinal Numbers.pertama (Sansk. prathama), first.
ka-dua, second.
ka-tiga, third.
ka-sa-bĕlas, eleventh.
ka-dua-puloh, twentieth.
ka-sa-ratus, hundredth.
The word yang placed before ordinals corresponds to the definite article in English; as yang pertama, the first; yang ka-dua, the second; yang ka-sa-ribu, the thousandth.
Fractional Numbers.Tengah, sa-tengah, half; suku, sa-suku, quarter; sa-per-dua, one-half; sa-per-tiga, one-third; dua-per-tiga, two-thirds; tiga-per-ampat, three-fourths. Similar fractions may be formed with other numbers by placing the particle per between the dividend and the divisor.
Collective Numbers.Phrases like “a score,” “a dozen,” “a couple,” are formed in Malay by the use of the particle ber with the numeral; as—
ber-dua, the two, or the pair.
ber-tiga, the three.
ber-puloh-puloh, by tens.
be-ratus-ratus, by hundreds.
be-ribu-ribu, by thousands.
The word ganda, which in Hindustani is a collective numeral meaning “a four,” is used in Malay in conjunction with numerals in a sense corresponding to the English word “times;” as dua-ganda, double, twice; tiga-ganda, triple, three times.
Numeral Co-Efficients.In Malay, as in Burmese, Siamese, and Chinese, “there exists a set of specific and technical terms, called by the grammarians numeral affixes, some one or other of which is always used as a co-efficient to the numeral, the term being selected according to the class under which the object falls.”7 The use of these terms will be best understood by comparing it with the analogous use in English of such phrases as so many head of cattle; so many file of soldiers; so many sail of ships; so many stand of rifles.
1. Orang (person or persons) is introduced in the enumeration of mankind; as China tiga orang, Malayu sa’orang, three Chinese and a Malay; budak dua orang, two children.
2. Ekor (tail) is employed in speaking of animals; as sa-ekor kuching, a cat; kuda bĕlang dua ekor, two piebald horses; ikan kechil-kechil barang lima anam ekor, about five or six small fish.
3. Buah (fruit) is applied to fruit, houses, ships, places, &c.; as sa-buah rumah, a house; sa-buah nĕgri, a town or kingdom; lima buah kapal, five ships.
4. Biji (seed) is applied to small objects more or less round; as buah manggis lima-puloh biji, fifty mangostins; ampat biji telor, four eggs; nior muda sa-biji, one green cocoa-nut.
5. Halei or lei, to tenuous objects, such as hair, feathers, leaves, wearing apparel, &c.; as bulu sa-lei, a feather; kain Palembang sa-puloh halei, ten Palembang sarongs.
6. Batang (stem), to long objects; as lembing dua batang, two spears; tiang ampat batang, four posts.
7. Puchuk (young shoot), to letters, muskets, cannon, elephants’ tusks, &c.; as tiga puchuk surat, three letters; sa-puchuk gading, one tusk: snapang lima puchuk, five muskets.
8. Keping (piece, slice), to pieces of wood, metal, &c.; as papan sa-keping, a plank; timah tiga-puloh keping, thirty slabs of tin.
9. Tangga (ladder) and pintu (door), to houses; as rumah dua tangga, two houses; rumah batu anam pintu, six brick houses.
10. Lapis (fold), to clothing; as kapan sa-lapis, a shroud.
11. Rawan, to nets and cordage; as pukut sa-rawan, a seine net; jala dua rawan, two casting nets.
12. Bilah, to cutting weapons; as kris sa-bilah, one kris; pĕdang lima bilah, five swords.
13. Buntoh, to rings, fish-hooks, &c.; as kail sa-buntoh, a fish-hook; chinchin tiga buntoh, three rings.
14. Bidang, to things spread out; as destar sa-bidang, one head-cloth.
15. Butir, to fruit, seeds, and other small round objects; as nior sa-butir, a cocoa-nut; mutiara sa-butir, a pearl.
There are many other similar idiomatic terms, examples of which will be given in the more advanced lessons farther on.
XI. PARTICLES.Most of the particles have been noticed in speaking of the verb, but there are three or four which require special mention.
Lah is affixed to words of all kinds, sometimes merely for the sake of euphony, but more frequently as a particle of intensity.
In the sentence ada-lah kapada suatu hari, it happened on a certain day, lah is simply expletive; but in the sentence dia-lah yang buat, it was he who did it, the particle serves to emphasise the word dia. The latter use of the particle lah is exemplified by its frequent employment to emphasise a command; as mari-lah, come; pergi-lah, go.
Kah is the interrogative particle. When affixed to words it is the sign of a question or a doubt; as itu-kah atau lain-kah? is it that or another? Antah sunggoh-kah atau tidak, it is doubtful whether it be true or not.
Tah is also an interrogative particle, but of less general use than kah. Apa-tah? what else? is a common phrase indicating assent.
Pun is annexed to all kinds of words, sometimes merely to give roundness to a phrase, sometimes with the sense of “too,” or “also” (where the sentence is affirmative), or “nor,” “neither” (where it is negative); as maka iya-pun datang, then he came; aku pun mahu, I too want it; siyang pun tidak malam pun tidak, it was neither day nor night.
Part I: Footnotes1. Klinkert, Eenige ophelderingen omtrent de Maleische Spreekwoorden en spreekwijzen.
2. Grammaire de la Langue Malaise, 56.
3. “It is difficult to eradicate the belief that the forms in which we think are identical with the thought itself; and it is only linguistic science that enables us to see that many of the forms of grammar which we imagine necessary and universal are, after all, but accidental and restricted in use. The cases of Latin and Greek do not exist in the majority of languages; the Polynesian dialects have no true verbs; and the Esquimaux gets on well enough without ‘the parts of speech’ that figure so largely in our own grammars.” —Sayce, Introduction to the Science of Language, ii. 328.
4. In Perak kalmarin means “formerly.” Pĕtang is “yesterday.”
5. Arabic wa, and, b‘adahu, afterwards—often used by a pleonasm with kemdian, afterwards; wab‘adahu kemdian deri-pada itu, and after that.
6. This is a Kedah word. Mah! is used in the same sense in Perak.
7. Col. Yule, Journ. Anthropol. Inst. Feb. 1880. This peculiarity in the Indo-Chinese languages has attracted much attention among ethnologists. See Peschel, Races of Man, 117; Tylor, Early History of Mankind, 208; Bunsen’s Universal History, i. 409.
PART II. COMPOSITION OF SENTENCES.Owing to the absence of inflexion, the composition of simple sentences in Malay offers few difficulties. The phrases and exercises which will be given in this Part are simple and elementary, serving thus as a preparation for others of progressive difficulty to be reached at a later stage.
LESSON I. Substantives.person (man, woman, or child), orang.
man, laki-laki.
woman, per-ampu-an.
child, anak.
house, rumah.
water, ayer.
fire, api.
wind, angin.
wood, kayu.
carriage, kreta.
horse, kuda.
ship, kapal.
steamer, kapal-api.
boat, sampan.
cow, ox, lumbu.
dog, anjing.
bird, burong.
snake, ular.
fish, ikan.
sun, mata-hari.
moon, bulan.
star, bintang.
sea, laut.
river, sungei.
cloth, kain.
Adjectives.good, baik.
new, băharu.
naughty, wicked, jahat.
beautiful, bagus.
pretty, chantek.
wise, pandei.
stupid, bodoh.
large, bĕsar.
small, kĕchil.
deep, dalam.
swift, laju.
high, tinggi.
round, bulat.
old, tuah.
young, muda.
cold, sĕjuk.
hot, panas.
far, jauh.
near, dĕkat.
coarse, kasar.
fine, halus.
Adverbs.very, baniak.
exceedingly, sangat.
Before showing how sentences may be constructed with these words by means of the verb ada, and with the aid of the personal pronouns, two of the hints already given are here repeated:—
1. Adjectives follow their substantives.
2. The verb ada is frequently omitted and left to be understood.
Examples.A bad man— Orang jahat.
A pretty woman— Perampuan chantek.
A high house— Rumah tinggi.
A high wind— Angin bĕsar.
Cold water— Ayer sĕjuk.
This is my child— Ini anak sahaya (not, Ini ada sahaya punya anak).
That bullock-cart is mine— Kreta lumbu itu sahaya punya.
That pony-carriage is swift— Kreta kuda itu ada laju.
That person has a dog— Orang itu ada sa’ekor anjing.
That woman’s cloth is very fine— Kain perampuan itu halus sangat.
This man has one son and two daughters— Orang ini ada anak laki-laki sa’orang dan anak perampuan dua orang.
The steamer is near— Kapal-api ada dĕkat.
His child is very naughty— Anak dia baniak jahat.
They have a boat— Dia orang ada sa’buah sampan.
There are men and women— Ada orang laki-laki dan perampuan.
The old man has a piece of coarse cloth— Orang tuah itu ada kain kasar sa’lei.
Exercise.I am a good man. His child is very wise. The moon is round. They have a beautiful horse. My boat is very large. The sea is very deep. The sun and stars are very far off. This person has a vicious dog. That man’s daughter is beautiful. This river is very swift. A small snake. This ox is very old. That person’s boat is small. There are fish. There is a bird. The water of the river is warm. There are stupid people and there are wise people. His ship is very far off.
LESSON II. On the Second Person.The use of the word angkau and similar pronouns is to be avoided as much as possible. When the pronoun of the second person cannot be understood but must be expressed, angkau, or the local or provincial word used in substitution for it (according to the part of the Archipelago in which the speaker finds himself), may be employed. In addressing natives of rank or of superior position, the appropriate forms should be used. The word lu should never be used to a Malay; it is, however, in common use among those Chinese who use Malay as a medium of communication with other nationalities. On the
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