This article is about the official language of Malaysia. For an overview of all languages used in Malaysia, see Languages of Malaysia. For ethnic Malays in Malaysia, see Malaysian Malays.
Malaysian Malay
Bahasa Melayu Malaysia بهاس ملايو مليسيا
Standard Malay Bahasa Melayu Piawai بهاس ملايو ڤياواي
Pronunciation
[baˈha.səmə.la.jumə'lej.sjə]
Native to
Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei
Speakers
Native: Few (2022)[1] L2: Spoken by the vast majority of those in Malaysia, although most learn a local Malay dialect or another native language first.
Language family
Austronesian
Malayo-Polynesian
Malayic
Malay
Malaysian Malay
Early forms
Old Malay
Classical Malay (Johor-Riau Malay)[2][3]
Pre-Modern Malay (British Malayan Malay)
Writing system
Latin (Rumi) Arabic (Jawi)[4] Malaysian Braille
Signed forms
Manually Coded Malay Malaysian Sign Language
Official status
Official language in
Brunei
Malaysia
Singapore
Regulated by
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (Malaysian Institute of Language and Literature) Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei (Brunei Language and Literature Bureau)[5] Majlis Bahasa Melayu Singapura (Singapore Malay Language Council)[6]
Language codes
ISO 639-3
zsm
Glottolog
stan1306
Linguasphere
33-AFA-ab
Countries where Malaysian Malay is spoken:
Malaysia
Singapore and Brunei, where Standard Malay is an official language
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Malaysian speaker
Malaysian Malay (Malay: Bahasa Melayu Malaysia), also known as Standard Malay (Bahasa Melayu piawai), Bahasa Malaysia (lit.'Malaysian language'), or simply Malay, is a standardized form of the Malay language used in Malaysia and also used in Brunei and Singapore (as opposed to the variety used in Indonesia, which is referred to as the "Indonesian" language). Malaysian Malay is standardized from the Johore-Riau dialect of Malay. It is spoken by much of the Malaysian population, although most learn a vernacular form of Malay or another native language first.[1] Malay is a compulsory subject in primary and secondary schools.[7]
^ abMalaysian Malay at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
^Adelaar, K. Alexander (2000). "Malay: A Short History". Oriente Moderno. 19 (2): 234. JSTOR 25817713.
^Mukhlis Abu Bakar (2019). "Sebutan Johor-Riau dan Sebutan Baku dalam Konteks Identiti Masyarakat Melayu Singapura" [Sebutan Johor-Riau and Sebutan Baku in the Context of the Singapore Malay Identity]. Issues in Language Studies (in Malay). 8 (2): 61–78. doi:10.33736/ils.1521.2019.
^"Kedah MB Defends Use of Jawi on Signboards". The Star Online. 26 August 2008. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012.
^Clynes, Adrian; Deterding, David (2011). "Standard Malay (Brunei)". Journal of the International Phonetic Association. 41 (2): 259–268. doi:10.1017/S002510031100017X. S2CID 146544336.
^"Standard Malay made simple / Liaw Yock Fang - BookSG - National Library Board, Singapore".
^"Soalan Lazim Berkaitan Dasar Memartabatkan Bahasa Malaysia Memperkukuh Bahasa Inggeris (MBMMBI)" [Frequently Asked Questions Related to the Policy to Uphold Bahasa Malaysia and to Strengthen the English Language (MBMMBI)]. Portal Rasmi Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (in Malay). Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
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