List of English words of Malay origin

Loan words from Malay

Malay language

Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...

in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

Agar

Agar or agar-agar is a gelatinous substance derived from a polysaccharide that accumulates in the cell walls of agarophyte red algae. Throughout history into modern times, agar has been chiefly used as an ingredient in desserts throughout Asia and also as a solid substrate to contain culture medium...

(also 'agar-agar'): a gelatinous substance obtained from various kinds of red seaweed and used in biological culture media and as a thickener in foods.
Amok (also 'amuck' or 'amock'):out of control, especially when armed and dangerous; in a frenzy of violence, or on a killing spree, 'berserk', as in 'to run amok'.
Babirusa

Babirusa

The North Sulawesi babirusa, Babyrousa celebensis, is a pig-like animal native to northern Sulawesi and the nearby Lembeh Islands in Indonesia. It has two pairs of large tusks composed of enlarged canine teeth. The canines in the maxilla penetrate the top of the snout, curving back toward the...

(also 'babiroussa') : from French babiroussa, from Malay babi hog + rusa deer. A wild pig (Babyrousa babyrussa) of the East Indies with backward-curving tusks.
Balanda (also 'ballanda' or 'ballander') : from Makasar balanda, from Malay belanda, from Dutch Hollander meaning a white person, a European.
Bamboo

Bamboo

Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....

: from bambu
Banteng

Banteng

The banteng , also known as tembadau, is a species of wild cattle found in Southeast Asia.Banteng have been domesticated in several places in Southeast Asia, and there are around 1.5 million domestic banteng, which are called Bali cattle. These animals are used as working animals and for their meat...

: from banteng, 'a SE Asian forest ox that resembles the domestic cow, domesticated in Bali [Bos javanicus.]'
Binturong

Binturong

The Binturong , also known as the Asian Bearcat, the Palawan Bearcat, or simply the Bearcat, is a species of the family Viverridae, which includes the civets and genets. It is the only member of its genus...

: from binturong, 'a large species of civet, Arctictis binturong, of SE Asia'.
Caddy (also 'caddie'): from kati (a measurement unit, whereby 1 kati = approximately 600 g).
Cassowary

Cassowary

The cassowaries are ratites, very large flightless birds in the genus Casuarius native to the tropical forests of New Guinea, nearby islands and northeastern Australia. There are three extant species recognized today...

: from kasuari/kesuari, 'a very large flightless bird related to the emu'.
Catty

Catty

The catty , symbol 斤, is a traditional Chinese unit of mass used across East and Southeast Asia, notably for weighing food and other groceries in some wet markets, street markets, and shops. Related units include the picul, equal to 100 catties, and the tael, which is of a catty. A stone is a...

: from kati (a unit of measurement)
Camphor

Camphor

Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...

: see Kapur. From Old French camphore or Mediaeval Latin camphora, from Arabic 'kāfūr', from Malay kapur.
Cempedak

Cempedak

Artocarpus integer, known as Chempedak, chempedek or cempedak , is a species of tree and its fruit in the family Moraceae. It is native to southeast Asia, occurring from Indonesia, Malaya Peninsula to the island of New Guinea/Papua. It has been introduced to Queensland...

(also Chempedak) : from Cempedak, a species of tree and its fruit in the family Moraceae.
Cockatoo

Cockatoo

A cockatoo is any of the 21 species belonging to the bird family Cacatuidae. Along with the Psittacidae and the Strigopidae , they make up the parrot order Psittaciformes . Placement of the cockatoos as a separate family is fairly undisputed, although many aspects of the other living lineages of...

: from kakaktua, a parrot with an erectile crest.
Compound

Compound (fortification)

In military science, a compound is a type of fortification made up of walls or fences surrounding several buildings in the center of a large piece of land...

(enclosed group of buildings) : by folk etymology from kampung or 'village'
Cooties

Cooties

Cooties is in American childlore, a kind of STD usually found on the male penis infectious disease found only in boys. The term may have originated with references to lice, fleas, and other parasites. A child is said to "catch" cooties through any form of bodily contact, proximity, or touching of...

: from kutu, 'lice'
Dammar : from damar, 'resin; resin obtained from various mainly Indo-Malaysian trees, used to make varnish.'
Dugong

Dugong

The dugong is a large marine mammal which, together with the manatees, is one of four living species of the order Sirenia. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow , was hunted to extinction in the 18th century...

: from duyung, 'mermaid'
Durian

Durian

The durian is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio and the Malvaceae family . Widely known and revered in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk...

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

Gambier

Gambier may refer to:People* James Gambier, 1st Baron Gambier , Lord Gambier – British admiralPlaces* Gambier Islands, French Polynesia* Gambier Islands * Gambier Island, British Columbia, Canada* Gambier, Ohio, USA...

: from gambir(the name of the plant), an astringent extract of a tropical Asian plant, used in tanning'
Gecko

Gecko

Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....

: from geko,gekok
Gingham

Gingham

Gingham is a medium-weight balanced plain-woven fabric made from dyed cotton or cotton-blend yarn.The name originates from an adjective in the Malay language, genggang , meaning striped. Some sources say that the name came into English via Dutch...

: from ginggang
Gong

Gong

A gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet....

: from gong, a metal disc with a turned rim that gives a resonant note when struck.
Gutta-percha

Gutta-percha

Gutta-percha is a genus of tropical trees native to Southeast Asia and northern Australasia, from Taiwan south to the Malay Peninsula and east to the Solomon Islands. The same term is used to refer to an inelastic natural latex produced from the sap of these trees, particularly from the species...

: (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'
ikat

Ikat

Ikat, or Ikkat, is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye on either the warp or weft fibres....

: from ikat, 'to bind', a style of weaving that uses a process similar to tie-dye to dye the threads.
Jackfruit

Jackfruit

The jackfruit is a species of tree in the Artocarpus genus of the mulberry family . It is native to parts of Southern and Southeast Asia. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh, . The jackfruit tree is believed to be indigenous to the southwestern rain forests of India...

: generally cited as deriving from the Malayalam chakka or cakkai via the Portuguese jaca, which came from the Malay/Indonesian word nangka.
Junk

Junk (ship)

A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel design still in use today. Junks were developed during the Han Dynasty and were used as sea-going vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. They evolved in the later dynasties, and were used throughout Asia for extensive ocean voyages...

(type of boat) : from jong
Kapok

Kapok

Ceiba pentandra is a tropical tree of the order Malvales and the family Malvaceae , native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, and to tropical west Africa...

: 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.]
Komodo

Komodo

Komodo may refer to:* Komodo dragon, is a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo* Komodo , in Indonesia** kvh, a language spoken there, as listed in the standardized code ISO 639...

: from komodo
Kris

Kris

The kris or keris is an asymmetrical dagger or sword nowadays most strongly associated with the culture of Indonesia, but also indigenous to Malaysia, Southern Thailand and Brunei. It is known as kalis in the southern Philippines. The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade , but many have...

(also archaic 'creese') : from keris, 'a Malay/Indonesian dagger with a wavy-edged blade'
Launch

Launch

Launch may refer to:In boating:*Launch , a large motor boat*Motor Launch , a small military vessel used by the Royal Navy*Ship naming and launching, when a ship or boat is dispatched from a slipway, prior to fitting out and commissioning...

: from lancar (meaning 'swift', 'nimble'; and 'making something moves faster'; and 'doing or held something like an action, attack etc.' ) and lancaran (meaning 'a kind of swift boat' - in old Malay literatures) , 'a large motor boat.'
Langsat : from langsat, a species of fruit-bearing tree belonging to the family Meliaceae [Lansium domesticum]
Mangosteen

Mangosteen

The purple mangosteen , colloquially known simply as mangosteen, is a tropical evergreen tree believed to have originated in the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas of Indonesia. The tree grows from 7 to 25 m tall...

: from manggustan, also known as Manggis
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

Orangutan

Orangutans are the only exclusively Asian genus of extant great ape. The largest living arboreal animals, they have proportionally longer arms than the other, more terrestrial, great apes. They are among the most intelligent primates and use a variety of sophisticated tools, also making sleeping...

: from orang hutan or 'people of the jungle'
paddy

Paddy field

A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...

: as in 'paddy-field' or 'rice paddy', from padi, referring to the rice plant

Rice

Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...

Oryza sativa.
Pandanus

Pandanus

Pandanus is a genus of monocots with about 600 known species. They are numerous palmlike dioecious trees and shrubs native of the Old World tropics and subtropics. They are classified in the order Pandanales, family Pandanaceae.-Overview:...

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

Pangolin

A pangolin , also scaly anteater or Trenggiling, is a mammal of the order Pholidota. There is only one extant family and one genus of pangolins, comprising eight species. There are also a number of extinct taxa. Pangolins have large keratin scales covering their skin and are the only mammals with...

: from pengguling, 'one that rolls/curls'
Pantoum

Pantoum

The pantoum is a form of poetry similar to a villanelle in that there are repeating lines throughout the poem. It is composed of a series of quatrains; the second and fourth lines of each stanza are repeated as the first and third lines of the next. This pattern continues for any number of stanzas,...

: from pantun, 'a Malay poetic/verse form'.
Parang

Parang

Parang is a popular folk music originating out of Trinidad and Tobago, it was brought to Trinidad by Venezuelan migrants who were primarily of Amerindian and African heritage, something which is strongly reflected in the music itself. The word is derived from two Spanish words:'Parranda', meaning...

: from parang, 'a Malayan machete',
Picul : from pikul (a unit of measurement)
Proa

Proa

A proa, also seen as prau, perahu, and prahu, is a type of multihull sailing vessel.While the word perahu and proa are generic terms meaning boat their native language, proa in Western languages has come to describe a vessel consisting of two unequal length parallel hulls...

(also 'prahu' or 'prau'): from perahu, 'a Malaysian or Indonesian sailing boat, typically having a large triangular sail and an outrigger'
Rambutan

Rambutan

The rambutan is a medium-sized tropical tree in the family Sapindaceae, and the fruit of this tree. It is native to Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, although its precise natural distribution is unknown. It is closely related to several...

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

Ramie

Ramie is a flowering plant in the nettle family Urticaceae, native to eastern Asia. It is a herbaceous perennial growing to 1–2.5 m tall; the leaves are heart-shaped, 7–15 cm long and 6–12 cm broad, and white on the underside with dense small hairs—this gives it a silvery appearance;...

: from rami, 'the plant of the nettle family which yields this fibre, native to tropical Asia. [Boehmeria nivea.]'
Rattan

Rattan

Rattan is the name for the roughly 600 species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia.- Structure :...

: from rotan
Sago

Sago

Sago is a starch extracted in the spongy center or pith, of various tropical palm stems, Metroxylon sagu. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Moluccas, where it is called saksak and sagu. A type of flour, called sago flour, is made from sago. The largest supply...

: from sagu, '(sago palm) the palm from which most sago is obtained, growing in freshwater swamps in SE Asia. [Metroxylon sagu.]; any of a number of other palms or cycads which yield a similar starch.'
Salak

Salak

Salak is a species of palm tree native to Indonesia. It is a very short-stemmed palm, with leaves up to long; each leaf has a 2-metre long petiole with spines up to long, and numerous leaflets....

: from salak, ' a species of palm tree (family Arecaceae) native to Indonesia and Malaysia [Salacca zalacca]'
Sambal

Sambal

Sambal is a chili based sauce which is normally used as a condiment. Sambals are popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the southern Philippines and Sri Lanka, as well as in the Netherlands and in Suriname through Javanese influence. It is typically made from a variety of chili peppers and is...

: from sambal, (in oriental cookery) relish made with vegetables or fruit and spices.
Sarong

Sarong

A sarong or sarung is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist and worn as a kilt by men and as a skirt by women throughout much of South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Horn of Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric most often has woven plaid or...

: from sarung, 'wrap/sheath'
Satay

Satay

Satay , or sate, is a dish of marinated, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce. Satay may consist of diced or sliced chicken, goat, mutton, beef, pork, fish, other meats, or tofu; the more authentic version uses skewers from the midrib of the coconut palm frond, although bamboo skewers are...

(also 'sate') : from Malay satai, Javanese/Indonesian "sate", 'an Indonesian and Malaysian dish consisting of small pieces of meat grilled on a skewer and served with spiced sauce.'
Seladang : from seladang, a wild ox with a dark brown or black coat with white lower legs, native to India and Malaysia. [Bos gaurus.] .
Siamang

Siamang

The siamang is a tailless, arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra. The largest of the lesser apes, the siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching 1 m in height, and weighing up to 14 kg...

: from siamang, 'a large black gibbon native to Sumatra and Malaya [Hylobates syndactylus.]'
Silat

Silat

Silat Melayu is a blanket term for the types of silat created in peninsular Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and Singapore. The silat tradition has deep roots in Malay culture and can trace its origin to the dawn of Malay civilization, 2000 years ago...

: from silat, 'a Malay's martial art'
Tael

Tael

Tael can refer to any one of several weight measures of the Far East. Most commonly, it refers to the Chinese tael, a part of the Chinese system of weights and currency....

: from tahil (a unit of measurement) meaning 'weight'
Tokay

Tokay

Tokay may refer to:* Tokaji wine , wines produced in the Tokaj-Hegyalja region of Hungary* Tokaj , wine region in South-Eastern Slovakia and wines produced in that region.* Grape varieties:...

: from toke of Malay dialect, means 'a large grey SE Asian gecko with orange and blue spots. [Gekko gecko.]
Trepang

Trepang

Trepang may refer to:*trepang, a marine invertebrate harvested by trepanging, thus:**a common name for species of the holothuroidea class of animals*Trepang , a World War II submarine sunk in 1967....

: from teripang/trepang

See also