Malaysian Tamil (Tamil: மலேசியத் தமிழ் மொழி, romanized: Malēsiyat Tamiḻ Moḻi), also known as Malaya Tamil, is a local variant of the Tamil language spoken in Malaysia.[2] It is one of the languages of education in Malaysia, along with English, Malay and Mandarin.[3][4] There are many differences in vocabulary between Malaysian Tamil and Indian Tamil.[clarification needed (see talk)]

Malaysian Tamil
Bahasa Tamil Malaysia
மலேசியத் தமிழ் மொழி
Native toMalaysia and Singapore
EthnicityMalaysian Indian (Tamil Malaysians)
Native speakers
~3.9 million in Malaysia and Singapore (2006 – 2010 census)[1]
Dravidian
Early forms
Official status
Regulated byMalaysian Tamil Language Standardisation Council
Language codes
ISO 639-3
Glottologmala1467

Influence

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An element needed to carry out commercial transactions is a common language understood by all parties involved in early trade. Historians such as J.V. Sebastian, K.T. Thirunavukkarasu, and A.W. Hamilton record that Tamil was the common language of commerce in Malaysia and Indonesia during historical times. The maritime Tamil significance in Sumatran and Malay Peninsula trading continued for centuries and borrowings into Malay from Tamil increased between the 15th and 19th centuries due to their commercial activities. In the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company was obliged to use Tamil as part of its correspondence. In Malacca and other seaports up to the 19th century, Malay terminology pertaining to book-keeping and accountancy was still largely Tamil.[citation needed]

Borrowings into Malay from Tamil (sometimes Sanskritized) include such everyday words as:

Tamil Malay English
அநியாயம்
aniyāyam
aniaya persecute, misjustice
கடை
kaṭai
kedai shop
gadai pawn
கப்பல்
kappal
kapal ship
கோட்டம்
kōṭṭam
kota city
சதை
catai
sate satay
சுங்கம்
cuṅkam
cukai tax
சுசி
cuci
cuci to clean/wash
சும்மா
cummā
cuma only/merely
சொர்க்கம்
corkkam
syurga heaven/paradise
சௌத்து
cauttu
contoh example
நகரம்
nakaram
negara city
பூமி
pūmi
bumi earth
மாமா
māmā
mamak Tamil Muslim
முத்து
muttu
mutiara[dubiousdiscuss] pearl
ரகசியம்
rakaciyam
rahsia secret
ரொட்டி
roṭṭi
roti bread
வகை
vakai
bagai variety/type
வர்ணம்
varṇam
warna colours

References

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  1. ^ Tamil at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ "Language Shift in the Tamil Communities of Malaysia and Singapore: the Paradox of Egalitarian Language Policy". Ccat.sas.upenn.edu. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  3. ^ Tamil Schools. Indianmalaysian.com. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  4. ^ Ghazali, Kamila (2010). UN Chronicle – National Identity and Minority Languages. United Nations.

Sources

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