Etymograph

English

Malaysia

Malaysia comes from English Malay, and goes back to Malay Melay.

  1. MalaymodernMelay
  2. English1500–presentMalay
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1842Malaysia

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. MalaymodernMelay
  2. English1500–presentMalay
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1842Malaysia

Earliest quotation: 1842, System of Descriptive Geography, Founded on the Works of Malte-Burn and Balbi: “For the purpose of topographical description, Malaysia may be…”

Formed from Malay + -sia

Malay Melayu

English Malay

The story

Affixation of Malay + -sia (alternative form of -ia), coined by British geographers in the 19th century as one of several terms used to refer to the Malay Archipelago, can be translated as "land of the Malays". A popular folk etymology holds that the country name was formed by adding ⟨-si-⟩ to Malaya, short for the former Federation of Malaya, to honour the inclusion of Singapore, Sarawak and North Borneo (Sabah) when the country was formed.folk etymology The source marks this as unproven or a folk etymology. Quoted, not asserted.

Every English word from Malay Melay

Today it means

name A country in Southeast Asia. Capital: Kuala Lumpur.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Malay Melay / Malaysia

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