Malaysian English
Encyclopedia
Malaysian English formally known as Malaysian Standard English (MySE), is a form of English
used and spoken in Malaysia as a second language. Malaysian English should not be confused with Malaysian Colloquial English which is famously known as Manglish
, a portmanteau of the word Malay and English, or Street English.
, p 61, English in Malaysia has been categorized into three levels: the acrolect, mesolect and basilect. The acrolect is near-native. Only those educated in core English-speaking countries from early schooling up to university may be found to speak the acrolect variety, and only a small percentage of Malaysians are proficient in it. As with other similar situations, a continuum
exists between these three varieties and speakers may code-switch
between them depending on context. Most academics, professionals and other English-educated Malaysians, speak mesolect English. Malaysian English belongs to mesolect, and it is Malaysian English that is used in daily interaction.
Manglish refers to the colloquial
, informal spoken form of Malaysian English. It is the most common form of spoken English on the street, but is discouraged at schools where only Malaysian Standard English is taught. Imported words are actually minimal except for just a handful of common non-English nouns and verbs in Malaysia. The use of Manglish is therefore a style-based decision. Colloquialisms exist that are not common outside of Malaysia, which are used colloquially as substitutes in other languages in Malaysia. Using Malay, or Chinese grammar in conjunction with English words, is often done quite spontaneously, sometimes even for comic effect.
(BrE) (albeit spoken with a Malaysian accent). However in the post-colonial era (after 1957), the influx of American TV programmes has influenced the usage of Malaysian English. There is no official language board, council or organisation to ensure the correct and standard usage of Malaysian English, because after independence, Malay
replaced English as the official language. The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate continues, however, to set and mark the GCE
O-Level English Language "1119" paper which is a compulsory subject for the Malaysian Certificate of Education
(the English Language paper set by the Malaysian Ministry of Education is the same as the English Language "1119" paper for GCE O-Level).
Unofficially, however, NST English (named after the New Straits Times
, the oldest English language daily in Malaysia) is often used as the reference point for Malaysian English.
beginning from the 18th century. But because of influence from American mass media, particularly in the form of television programmes and movies, Malaysians are also usually familiar with many American English
words. For instance, both "lift/elevator" and "lorry/truck" are understood, although the British form is preferred. Only in some very limited cases is the American English form more widespread, e.g. "chips" instead of "crisps", "fries" instead of "chips" and "diaper" instead of "nappy".
Many words of Malay origin have made it into the standard form of Malaysian English used in the media, literature and formal speech. For example, Menteri Besar (Malay for Chief Minister) even has a plural form in English - Menteris Besar. The suffix lah, a very common feature in Manglish, is not considered standard in Malaysian English.
. The accent has recently evolved to become more American, due to the influx of American TV programmes and the large number of Malaysians pursuing higher education in the United States. For example, this increased the emphasis on "r" in words such as "referring" and "world".
of Malaysia, it is still used among Malaysians and is recognised as the language of business
. About 80% of urban businesses in Malaysia conduct their transactions in English (both Malaysian English and Manglish
). However, American English has quite a strong foothold in international businesses in Malaysia.
There are several English newspapers in Malaysia namely The Star
, The Sun
, New Straits Times
and Malay Mail. There are also many English radio stations such as Hitz.fm
, Mix FM
, LiteFM, Fly fm
, Traxx FM
and Red FM
. However, Malaysia does not have any television station
which broadcasts purely in English. The Government National Language policy requires local TV stations to air at least 25% Malaysian-made programmes (either Malay
or English). Some privately owned TV stations (such as TV3
, NTV7
, 8TV
and Astro Hitz.TV
) do air some English Malaysian-made programmes. A few Malaysian-made TV programmes in Malay carry English subtitles and vice-versa.
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...
used and spoken in Malaysia as a second language. Malaysian English should not be confused with Malaysian Colloquial English which is famously known as Manglish
Manglish
Manglish is an English based creole spoken in Malaysia.The vocabulary of Manglish consists of words originating from English, Malay, Hokkien, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tamil, and to a lesser extent various other European languages, while Manglish syntax resembles southern varieties of Chinese...
, a portmanteau of the word Malay and English, or Street English.
Features
- Malaysian English is generally non-rhoticRhotic and non-rhotic accentsEnglish pronunciation can be divided into two main accent groups: a rhotic speaker pronounces a rhotic consonant in words like hard; a non-rhotic speaker does not...
, regardless of the fact that all /r/s are pronounced in native Malay. - Malaysian English originates from British EnglishBritish EnglishBritish English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
as a result of British colonialismBritish EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
in present-day Malaysia. - It has components of American EnglishAmerican EnglishAmerican English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
, MalayMalay languageMalay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
, ChineseChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, Indian, and other languages: vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar. - Like South-Eastern British English, Malaysian English employs a broad A accent, as such words like "bath" and "chance" appear with /ɑː/ rather than /æ/.
- The /t/ in words like butter is usually not flappedIntervocalic alveolar flappingIntervocalic alveolar flapping is a phonological process found in many dialects of English, especially North American English and Australian English, by which either or both prevocalic and surface as the alveolar tap after sonorants other than , , and .*after vowel: butter*after r:...
(as in some forms of American English) or realised as a glottal stopGlottal stopThe glottal stop, or more fully, the voiceless glottal plosive, is a type of consonantal sound used in many spoken languages. In English, the feature is represented, for example, by the hyphen in uh-oh! and by the apostrophe or [[ʻokina]] in Hawaii among those using a preservative pronunciation of...
(as in many forms of British English, including Cockney). - There is no h dropping in words like head.
- Malaysian English does not have yod dropping after /n/, /t/, and /d/. Hence, for example, new, tune and dune are pronounced /ˈnjuː/, /ˈtjuːn/, and /ˈdjuːn/. This contrasts with many East AngliaEast AngliaEast Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
n and East MidlandEast MidlandsThe East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
varieties of British English and with most forms of American English.
Varieties of English in Malaysia
According to The Encyclopedia of Malaysia: Languages & LiteratureThe Encyclopedia of Malaysia
The Encyclopedia of Malaysia is a multi-volume encyclopedia about Malaysia. To date, 13 volumes of the planned 16-volume series have been published. Each volume deals with a single subject area and is composed of thematic, double-page spreads. Over 400 authors, mainly Malaysians, have contributed...
, p 61, English in Malaysia has been categorized into three levels: the acrolect, mesolect and basilect. The acrolect is near-native. Only those educated in core English-speaking countries from early schooling up to university may be found to speak the acrolect variety, and only a small percentage of Malaysians are proficient in it. As with other similar situations, a continuum
Post-creole speech continuum
The Post-creole continuum or simply creole continuum refers to a situation wherein a creole language consists of a spectrum of varieties between those most and least similar to the superstrate language...
exists between these three varieties and speakers may code-switch
Code-switching
In linguistics, code-switching is the concurrent use of more than one language, or language variety, in conversation. Multilinguals—people who speak more than one language—sometimes use elements of multiple languages in conversing with each other...
between them depending on context. Most academics, professionals and other English-educated Malaysians, speak mesolect English. Malaysian English belongs to mesolect, and it is Malaysian English that is used in daily interaction.
Manglish refers to the colloquial
Colloquialism
A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
, informal spoken form of Malaysian English. It is the most common form of spoken English on the street, but is discouraged at schools where only Malaysian Standard English is taught. Imported words are actually minimal except for just a handful of common non-English nouns and verbs in Malaysia. The use of Manglish is therefore a style-based decision. Colloquialisms exist that are not common outside of Malaysia, which are used colloquially as substitutes in other languages in Malaysia. Using Malay, or Chinese grammar in conjunction with English words, is often done quite spontaneously, sometimes even for comic effect.
Malaysian English and British English
In the first half of the 20th century, Malaysian English was exactly similar to British EnglishBritish English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
(BrE) (albeit spoken with a Malaysian accent). However in the post-colonial era (after 1957), the influx of American TV programmes has influenced the usage of Malaysian English. There is no official language board, council or organisation to ensure the correct and standard usage of Malaysian English, because after independence, Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
replaced English as the official language. The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate continues, however, to set and mark the GCE
General Certificate of Education
The General Certificate of Education or GCE is an academic qualification that examination boards in the United Kingdom and a few of the Commonwealth countries, notably Sri Lanka, confer to students. The GCE traditionally comprised two levels: the Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level...
O-Level English Language "1119" paper which is a compulsory subject for the Malaysian Certificate of Education
Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia
The Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia , or the Malaysian Certificate of Education, is a national examination taken by all fifth-year secondary school students in Malaysia...
(the English Language paper set by the Malaysian Ministry of Education is the same as the English Language "1119" paper for GCE O-Level).
Unofficially, however, NST English (named after the New Straits Times
New Straits Times
The New Straits Times is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print , having been founded as The Straits Times in 1845, and was reestablished as the "New Straits Times" in 1965. The paper served as Malaysia's only broadsheet format English...
, the oldest English language daily in Malaysia) is often used as the reference point for Malaysian English.
Words only used in British English
To a large extent, Malaysian English is descended from British English, largely due to the country's colonisation by BritainBritish Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
beginning from the 18th century. But because of influence from American mass media, particularly in the form of television programmes and movies, Malaysians are also usually familiar with many American English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
words. For instance, both "lift/elevator" and "lorry/truck" are understood, although the British form is preferred. Only in some very limited cases is the American English form more widespread, e.g. "chips" instead of "crisps", "fries" instead of "chips" and "diaper" instead of "nappy".
Words with different meaning in Malaysian English
Some words and phrases used in Malaysia have different meanings than in British or American English.| Word / Phrase | Malaysian meaning | American / British meaning |
|---|---|---|
| parking lot | parking space | parking garage (US) |
| photostat | a photocopier; also used as a verb meaning "to photocopy" | a historical copying machine using a camera and photographic paper, which was superseded by the photocopier. See Photostat machine Photostat machine The Photostat machine, or Photostat, was an early projection photocopier created in the 1900s by the Photostat Corporation; "Photostat" - which was originally a trademark of the company - is also used to refer to the similar machines produced by the Rectigraph Company.-Background:The growth of... . |
| flat | low-cost apartment or flat | apartment (US) |
| apartment | medium-cost apartment or flat | flat (UK) |
| condominium | high-cost apartment or flat | commonhold (UK) |
| to follow | to accompany, e.g. "Can I follow you?" meaning "Can I come with you?" or, "I will follow you." meaning "I will come with you." | to go after or behind, e.g. "The police car was following m.e" |
| to revert | to come back (reply) to someone, e.g. "I had sent our clients an email this morning, but they have yet to revert." | to return to a previous state, e.g. "We reverted to our initial plan of hosting the party in a restaurant." |
| to send | to take someone somewhere, e.g. "Can you send me to the airport?" | to cause something to go somewhere without accompanying it, e.g. "I sent this letter to my grandma." |
Words only used in Malaysian English
Malaysian English has its own vocabulary which comes from a variety of influences. Typically, for words or phrases that are based on other English words, the Malaysian English speaker may be unaware that the word or phrase is not present in British or American English.| Malaysian | British / American |
|---|---|
| handphone (often abbreviated to HP) | mobile phone or cell phone |
| Malaysian Chinese, Malaysian Indian | Chinese Malaysian, Indian Malaysian |
| keep in view (often abbreviated to KIV) | kept on file, held for further consideration |
| MC (medical certificate) | sick note |
| mee (from Hokkien word mi) | noodles |
Many words of Malay origin have made it into the standard form of Malaysian English used in the media, literature and formal speech. For example, Menteri Besar (Malay for Chief Minister) even has a plural form in English - Menteris Besar. The suffix lah, a very common feature in Manglish, is not considered standard in Malaysian English.
Syntax
Syntactical differences are few although in colloquial speech 'shall' and 'ought' are wanting, 'must' is marginal for obligation and 'may' is rare. Many syntactical features of Malaysian English are found in other forms of English, e.g. Scottish English, British English and North American English:- Can I come too? for "May I come too?"
- Have you got any? for "Do you have any?"
- I've got one of those already. for "I have one of those already."
- It's your shot. for "It's your turn."
Phonology and Pronunciation
Officially, Malaysian English uses the same pronunciation system as British English. However, most Malaysians speak with a distinctive accentAccent (linguistics)
In linguistics, an accent is a manner of pronunciation peculiar to a particular individual, location, or nation.An accent may identify the locality in which its speakers reside , the socio-economic status of its speakers, their ethnicity, their caste or social class, their first language In...
. The accent has recently evolved to become more American, due to the influx of American TV programmes and the large number of Malaysians pursuing higher education in the United States. For example, this increased the emphasis on "r" in words such as "referring" and "world".
Role of Malaysian English in Independent Malaysia
Even though Malaysian English is no longer the official languageOfficial language
An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a...
of Malaysia, it is still used among Malaysians and is recognised as the language of business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
. About 80% of urban businesses in Malaysia conduct their transactions in English (both Malaysian English and Manglish
Manglish
Manglish is an English based creole spoken in Malaysia.The vocabulary of Manglish consists of words originating from English, Malay, Hokkien, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tamil, and to a lesser extent various other European languages, while Manglish syntax resembles southern varieties of Chinese...
). However, American English has quite a strong foothold in international businesses in Malaysia.
There are several English newspapers in Malaysia namely The Star
The Star (Malaysia)
The Star is an English-language, tabloid-format newspaper in Malaysia. It is the largest in terms of circulation in Malaysia, according to the . It has a daily circulation of between 290,000 to 300,000...
, The Sun
The Sun (Malaysia)
The Sun is Malaysia's first national free daily newspaper in tabloid form. Available from Mondays to Fridays except on public holiday, with a target audience of white-collar workers and urban youth....
, New Straits Times
New Straits Times
The New Straits Times is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print , having been founded as The Straits Times in 1845, and was reestablished as the "New Straits Times" in 1965. The paper served as Malaysia's only broadsheet format English...
and Malay Mail. There are also many English radio stations such as Hitz.fm
Hitz.fm
hitz.fm is a Malaysian national radio station managed by AMP Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Astro All Asia Networks plc. hitz.fm is Malaysia's leading English-language station with an estimated 1.5 million listeners .-Programming:...
, Mix FM
Mix FM (Malaysia)
MIX fm is a Malaysian national radio station managed by AMP Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Astro All Asia Networks plc.Specially created for the sophisticated and modern under - 40 year old, MIX fm plays adult contemporary hits from the 80s to the 90s including mainstream pop...
, LiteFM, Fly fm
Fly FM
Fly FM is a private radio station in Malaysia owned by Media Prima Berhad. It was launched on October 3, 2005 and targets listeners aged between fifteen and thirty years old. Fly FM is the second most popular English radio station in Malaysia, besides being the fastest growing radio station in the...
, Traxx FM
TraXX FM
TraXXfm, formerly known as Blue Network, Radio 4 and Radio Malaysia Saluran 4 is a national English radio station operated by Radio Televisyen Malaysia....
and Red FM
Red FM (Malaysia)
Red FM is a private radio station that broadcasts across Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. It is managed by , a wholly owned subsidiary of Star Publications Bhd...
. However, Malaysia does not have any television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
which broadcasts purely in English. The Government National Language policy requires local TV stations to air at least 25% Malaysian-made programmes (either Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
or English). Some privately owned TV stations (such as TV3
TV3 (Malaysia)
Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad or TV3 began broadcasting on 1 June 1984 as Malaysia’s first commercial television station. It is part of Media Prima Berhad group of companies. It now transmits opened broadcasting business private 24-hours a day, 7 days a week since 1 January 2010...
, NTV7
Ntv7
Natseven TV Sdn Bhd or better known as ntv7 is a terrestrial television channel in Malaysia. It was launched nationwide on 7 April 1998 and was the country's third private free-to-air TV station after TV3 and Astro. Its mission is to promote a happier and more enlightened Malaysia...
, 8TV
8TV (Malaysia)
8TV is a private Malaysian Chinese television station, previously known as MetroVision Channel 8. Metrovision closed on 1 November 1999. 8TV was officially launched on Thursday, 8 January 2004 as 8TV after being acquired by Media Prima Berhad....
and Astro Hitz.TV
Astro HITZ.TV
Astro hitz, formerly known as HITZ.TV is a Malaysian music video channel provided by Astro. It made its début on 20 October 2003 and serves as a visual entertainment complement of hitz.fm, which is under Astro's radio management arm, AMP Radio Networks....
) do air some English Malaysian-made programmes. A few Malaysian-made TV programmes in Malay carry English subtitles and vice-versa.
See also
- Singapore EnglishSingapore EnglishSingapore English refers to varieties of English spoken in Singapore.There are two main forms of English spoken in Singapore - Standard Singapore English and Singapore Colloquial English, or Singlish....
- British and Malaysian English differencesBritish and Malaysian English differencesThis article outlines the differences between Malaysian English or more popularly Manglish, the form of street Malaysian English spoken by most Malaysians and British English, which for the purposes of this article is assumed to be the form of English spoken in south east England, used by the...
- Malaysian English vocabularyMalaysian English vocabularyManglish refers to the colloquial form of Malaysian English, a very common spoken form of English in a casual or informal setting in Malaysia. It is essentially an English-based creole, with vocabulary and grammar influenced by other languages spoken in Malaysia - Malay, Hokkien, Mandarin,...
- ManglishManglishManglish is an English based creole spoken in Malaysia.The vocabulary of Manglish consists of words originating from English, Malay, Hokkien, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tamil, and to a lesser extent various other European languages, while Manglish syntax resembles southern varieties of Chinese...
- Regional accents of English speakersRegional accents of English speakersThe regional accents of English speakers show great variation across the areas where English is spoken as a first language. This article provides an overview of the many identifiable variations in pronunciation, usually deriving from the phoneme inventory of the local dialect, of the local variety...
External links
- Manglish: For and Against, Should Malaysians speak Manglish or proper English?
- Common English Mistakes Shows many of the mistakes made by Malaysians when speaking English and shows the true English equivalents.
- http://thestar.com.my/english/story.asp?file=/2008/9/25/lifefocus/2066079&sec=lifefocus Clarifies the use of common vocabulary used in Malaysia.