Yawi
Encyclopedia
Pattani Malay or Patani Malay, often referred to in Thailand as Yawi (in Thai) or Jawi (in Patani Malay), is a dialect
of the Malay language
spoken in the southernmost provinces of Thailand
along the border with Malaysia. It is the primary spoken language of the Thai Malay ethnic group, but is also used as a linga franca by ethnic Thai in rural areas, Muslim and non-Muslim, and the samsam, a mostly Thai-speaking population of mixed Malay and Thai ancestry. Pattani Malay is a highly divergent dialect of Malay, influenced by Thai and isolated from the rest of the Malay world by high mountains. Several varieties exist, but they are mutually comprehensible. It is almost identical to the Kelantanese Malay
spoken just across the border; there has not been any detailed study to determine if they are in fact still the same language or have diverged. Both Kelantanese and Pattani dialects are distinct enough that radio broadcasts in Standard Malay can only be understood with difficulty. However, one major difference is that, in Thailand, nobody is required to learn standard Malay and so there is potentially less language influence from standard Malay but potentially more from Thai, but in Malaysia, it is required by school curriculum. They are both different again from Terengganuan Malay
.
(ناراتيوة), Yala
(جالا), Pattani
(فطاني) and Songhkla (سيڠڬورا), where the Malay ethnic group is the dominant one. It is less spoken in Satun
(ستول), where even the ethnic Malays generally speak Southern Thai
. It is also spoken in scattered villages as far north as Hat Yai
. In the past, the Malay language was the main language as far north as the Isthmus of Kra, the traditional division between Central Thailand
and Southern Thailand
, based on the preponderance of etymologically Malay place names. It may be considered to be spoken in Malaysia by Malay immigrants from Thailand and by Thai settlements, especially in the border regions of Kelantan
, Perlis
, Kedah
, and Perak
. Due to internal migration for economic reasons, there are also Pattani Malay speakers to be found in the capital Bangkok
.
. This is in stark contrast to the rest of the general population of Malay speakers in both Malaysia and Indonesia
that use the Roman alphabet in daily communication, known in Malay as rumi (رومي). A phonetic rendering of Pattani Malay in the Thai alphabet
has been introduced, but it has been met with cold reception due to the socio-religious significance of jawi to the Muslim Malays and for the numerous inconsistencies and inaccuracies.
has continued to be a region affected by two cultural spheres: the mainly Buddhist, Thai-speaking Siamese kingdoms and the mainly Muslim, Malay-speaking sultanates. The region was an entrepôt of trade where merchants from Europe, India, Arabia, China, Siam, and the other Malay world met. At first dominated by Hindu-Buddhist Indian influences, the great kingdom of Srivijaya
(سريۏيجاي) would later fall in chaos. Islam
was introduced by Arab and Indian traders in the 11th century and has been the dominant religion ever since, replacing the Buddhism and Hinduism that had held sway before. By the 14th century, the area became vassals to Ayutthaya
, but the region was autonomous and never fully incorporated into the modern Thai nation-state
till 1902. This political autonomy and isolation from the rest of the Malay world allowed for preservation of the Malay language and culture but also led to the divergence of the dialect.
Pronunciation followed by a nasal consonant changes to /ɛː/
ayam, ايم ('chicken') becomes aye; makan, ماكن (to eat) becomes make at the end of syllables changes to /ɔʔ/
minta, مينتا ('to ask') becomes mito changes /ɔh/
rumah, رومه ('house') becomes rumoh changes to /ɔ/
minta, مينتا ('to ask') becomes mito; bewa, بيوا becomes bewo changes to /iŋ/
sini, سيني ('seat') becomes sining changes to /ɔ/
buaso, بواسو ('to become ordained') becomes boso becomes /aː/
sungai, سوڠاي ('canal') becomes sunga becomes /a/
pisau, ڤيساو ('knife') changes to pisa before a nasal vowel changes to = /ijɛ/
siam, سيام ('Siam') becomes siye changes to /ɛ/
biasa, بياسا ('once') becomes beso
malas, مالس ('lazy') changes to malah and /n/ at the end of syllables changes to /ŋ/
hakim, حاكيم (judge) changes to hakeng changes to /ʀ/
orang, اورڠ ('person') becomes oghe
bukit, بوكيت ('hill') becomes buke (bukiʔ)
bule ('moon') vs. bːule ('many months'); katok ('to strike') vs. kːatok ('frog'); siku ('elbow') vs. sːiku ('hand tool')
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
of the Malay language
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
spoken in the southernmost provinces of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
along the border with Malaysia. It is the primary spoken language of the Thai Malay ethnic group, but is also used as a linga franca by ethnic Thai in rural areas, Muslim and non-Muslim, and the samsam, a mostly Thai-speaking population of mixed Malay and Thai ancestry. Pattani Malay is a highly divergent dialect of Malay, influenced by Thai and isolated from the rest of the Malay world by high mountains. Several varieties exist, but they are mutually comprehensible. It is almost identical to the Kelantanese Malay
Kelantanese Malay
Kelantanese Malay is the Malay dialect spoken in Kelantan state of Malaysia, as well as Besut district of Terengganu and the Perhentian Islands. Many people in district of Baling , Sik and Padang Terap in Kedah speak in a language similar to language spoken in Kelantan. It is sometimes...
spoken just across the border; there has not been any detailed study to determine if they are in fact still the same language or have diverged. Both Kelantanese and Pattani dialects are distinct enough that radio broadcasts in Standard Malay can only be understood with difficulty. However, one major difference is that, in Thailand, nobody is required to learn standard Malay and so there is potentially less language influence from standard Malay but potentially more from Thai, but in Malaysia, it is required by school curriculum. They are both different again from Terengganuan Malay
Terengganu Malay
Terengganuan Malay is the Malay dialect spoken in Terengganu state of Malaysia, along the coastal areas of Terengganu all the way southward to coastal Pahang and Mersing, Johor and eastward towards Anambas Islands, Indonesia in the South China Sea. Highly localised Peranakan-like Chinese minority...
.
Names
The language is often referred to in Thai as Phasa Yawi (Thai: ภาษายาวี pʰaːsaː jaːwiː), which is a corruption of the Malay name for the modified Arabic alphabet for writing Malay, Jawi (Yawi: جاوي, Rumi: Jawi, tɕaˈwi). It is also referred to in Thai as Phasa Malayu Pattani (Thai: ภาษามลายูปัตตานี pʰaːsaː maːlaːjuː patɗaːniː) and similarly locally in Malay as Bahasa Malayu Patani (Jawi: بهاس ملاي ڤطاني, Rumi: Bahasa Melayu Patani, bahaˈsa maleˈju patʰaˈni). The dialect is often simply just called Bahasa Patani.Distribution
Pattani Malay is the main language of the provinces of NarathiwatNarathiwat
Narathiwat is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Narathiwat Province. The town covers the whole subdistrict Bang Nak of Mueang Narathiwat district. The town was established in 1936.-External links:...
(ناراتيوة), Yala
Yala Province
Yala is the southernmost province of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Songkhla, Pattani and Narathiwat. Yala is the only land-locked province in the south of Thailand...
(جالا), Pattani
Pattani
Pattani may refer to* Pattani Province, in southern Thailand* Pattani , in southern Thailand* Pattani , which includes the above province** Pattani Kingdom, a former semi-independent kingdom...
(فطاني) and Songhkla (سيڠڬورا), where the Malay ethnic group is the dominant one. It is less spoken in Satun
Satun
Satun is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Satun Province. It covers the whole tambon Phiman of Mueang Satun district. As of 2005 it has a population of 21,498....
(ستول), where even the ethnic Malays generally speak Southern Thai
Southern Thai language
Southern Thai or Dambro is a Tai language spoken in the 14 changwat of Southern Thailand as well as by small communities in the northernmost Malaysian states. It is spoken by roughly five million people, and as a second language by the 1.5 million speakers of Patani Malay and other ethnic groups...
. It is also spoken in scattered villages as far north as Hat Yai
Hat Yai
Hat Yai is a city in southern Thailand near the Malaysian border. Located at , it has a population of 157,359 in the city itself and about 800,000 in the greater Hat Yai area. Hat Yai is the largest city of Songkhla Province, the largest metropolitan area in Southern, and third largest...
. In the past, the Malay language was the main language as far north as the Isthmus of Kra, the traditional division between Central Thailand
Central Thailand
Central Thailand is a region of Thailand, covering the broad alluvial plain of the Chao Phraya River. It is separated from North-East Thailand by the Phetchabun mountain range, and another mountain range separates it from Myanmar to the west. In the north it gently changes into the more hilly...
and Southern Thailand
Southern Thailand
Southern Thailand is a distinct region of Thailand, connected with the Central region by the narrow Kra Isthmus.-Geography:Southern Thailand is located on the Malay Peninsula, with an area around 70,713 km², bounded to the north by Kra Isthmus as the narrowest part of the peninsula. The...
, based on the preponderance of etymologically Malay place names. It may be considered to be spoken in Malaysia by Malay immigrants from Thailand and by Thai settlements, especially in the border regions of Kelantan
Kelantan
Kelantan is a state of Malaysia. The capital and royal seat is Kota Bharu. The Arabic honorific of the state is Darul Naim, ....
, Perlis
Perlis
Perlis is the smallest state in Malaysia. It lies at the northern part of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and has Satun and Songkhla Provinces of Thailand on its northern border. It is bordered by the state of Kedah to the south...
, Kedah
Kedah
Kedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
, and Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
. Due to internal migration for economic reasons, there are also Pattani Malay speakers to be found in the capital Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
.
Writing System
Pattani Malay itself is generally not a written language, but it is sometimes written in informal settings. When writing is needed, an old-fashioned variety of standard Malay is used. It is written in a modified form of the Arabic alphabet adapted for writing Malay, known as Jawi (جاوي). This is also the norm for written communication across the border in KelantanKelantan
Kelantan is a state of Malaysia. The capital and royal seat is Kota Bharu. The Arabic honorific of the state is Darul Naim, ....
. This is in stark contrast to the rest of the general population of Malay speakers in both Malaysia and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
that use the Roman alphabet in daily communication, known in Malay as rumi (رومي). A phonetic rendering of Pattani Malay in the Thai alphabet
Thai alphabet
Thai script , is used to write the Thai language and other, minority, languages in Thailand. It has forty-four consonants , fifteen vowel symbols that combine into at least twenty-eight vowel forms, and four tone marks ....
has been introduced, but it has been met with cold reception due to the socio-religious significance of jawi to the Muslim Malays and for the numerous inconsistencies and inaccuracies.
History
Southern ThailandSouthern Thailand
Southern Thailand is a distinct region of Thailand, connected with the Central region by the narrow Kra Isthmus.-Geography:Southern Thailand is located on the Malay Peninsula, with an area around 70,713 km², bounded to the north by Kra Isthmus as the narrowest part of the peninsula. The...
has continued to be a region affected by two cultural spheres: the mainly Buddhist, Thai-speaking Siamese kingdoms and the mainly Muslim, Malay-speaking sultanates. The region was an entrepôt of trade where merchants from Europe, India, Arabia, China, Siam, and the other Malay world met. At first dominated by Hindu-Buddhist Indian influences, the great kingdom of Srivijaya
Srivijaya
Srivijaya was a powerful ancient thalassocratic Malay empire based on the island of Sumatra, modern day Indonesia, which influenced much of Southeast Asia. The earliest solid proof of its existence dates from the 7th century; a Chinese monk, I-Tsing, wrote that he visited Srivijaya in 671 for 6...
(سريۏيجاي) would later fall in chaos. Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
was introduced by Arab and Indian traders in the 11th century and has been the dominant religion ever since, replacing the Buddhism and Hinduism that had held sway before. By the 14th century, the area became vassals to Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya kingdom
Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese , Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the walls of the...
, but the region was autonomous and never fully incorporated into the modern Thai nation-state
Nation-state
The nation state is a state that self-identifies as deriving its political legitimacy from serving as a sovereign entity for a nation as a sovereign territorial unit. The state is a political and geopolitical entity; the nation is a cultural and/or ethnic entity...
till 1902. This political autonomy and isolation from the rest of the Malay world allowed for preservation of the Malay language and culture but also led to the divergence of the dialect.
Differences between Yawi and Standard Malay
The influence of Southern Thai and Pattani Malay upon each other is great, to the point that both have large numbers of loanwords from the other. The influence of the Thai language is one factor that makes comprehension between Pattani Malay and Standard Malay difficult, but there are also numerous other features that have developed in Pattani Malay that make the dialect quite different. Many of these differences involve regular sound changes. However, those regular sound changes are not all the differences, there are also words like "egg" which do not exist in standard Malay, or words loaned directly from English are transliterated directly and not related to the Malay term.Pronunciation followed by a nasal consonant changes to /ɛː/
ayam, ايم ('chicken') becomes aye; makan, ماكن (to eat) becomes make at the end of syllables changes to /ɔʔ/
minta, مينتا ('to ask') becomes mito changes /ɔh/
rumah, رومه ('house') becomes rumoh changes to /ɔ/
minta, مينتا ('to ask') becomes mito; bewa, بيوا becomes bewo changes to /iŋ/
sini, سيني ('seat') becomes sining changes to /ɔ/
buaso, بواسو ('to become ordained') becomes boso becomes /aː/
sungai, سوڠاي ('canal') becomes sunga becomes /a/
pisau, ڤيساو ('knife') changes to pisa before a nasal vowel changes to = /ijɛ/
siam, سيام ('Siam') becomes siye changes to /ɛ/
biasa, بياسا ('once') becomes beso
- /s/ and /f/ at the end of syllables changes to /h/
malas, مالس ('lazy') changes to malah and /n/ at the end of syllables changes to /ŋ/
hakim, حاكيم (judge) changes to hakeng changes to /ʀ/
orang, اورڠ ('person') becomes oghe
- final consonants are often only pronounced as a glottal stop.
bukit, بوكيت ('hill') becomes buke (bukiʔ)
- words are distinguished between lengthened initial consonant
bule ('moon') vs. bːule ('many months'); katok ('to strike') vs. kːatok ('frog'); siku ('elbow') vs. sːiku ('hand tool')