The Writing and Numeral System of the Malay Language: A Comprehensive Exploration

Introduction

The Malay language, or “Bahasa Melayu,” serves as a significant linguistic bridge connecting various communities in Southeast Asia. It is an official language in Malaysia, Indonesia (as Indonesian), Brunei, and Singapore. While Malay has been written in multiple scripts over the years, including Pallava, Kawi, and Arabic (Jawi), it is most commonly written today using the Latin script. This article provides an in-depth look at the writing and numeral system of the Malay language, exploring its historical roots, alphabetic structure, and numeral representations.

Historical Background

Pre-Colonial Scripts

Before the widespread adoption of the Latin script, Malay was written in a variety of indigenous scripts such as the Pallava and Kawi scripts. These early scripts were primarily used for inscriptions and royal decrees.

Jawi Script

The Jawi script, an Arabic-based script, gained prominence with the advent of Islam in the Malay Archipelago. For centuries, Jawi was the predominant script for writing Malay and served various functions ranging from religious texts to legal documents.

Romanization

The Latin script was introduced during the colonial period by European missionaries and colonizers. Initially used in Christian religious texts, the Latin script gradually gained wider acceptance and eventually became the dominant form of writing for Malay, especially in educational settings.

Malay Alphabet

Latin Script

The modern Malay alphabet consists of 26 letters of the Latin script, identical to the English alphabet. It does not use any diacritical marks in standard writing, making it relatively straightforward to read and write.

Phonology and Orthography

Malay has a highly phonemic orthography, where words are spelled as they are pronounced. The language is not tonal and generally lacks complex vowel combinations or consonant clusters, making its written form accessible for learners.

Jawi Script Today

While the Latin script is most commonly used, the Jawi script is still officially recognized, particularly in the Malaysian state of Kelantan. Some religious and cultural texts continue to be published in Jawi, and it is taught in Islamic religious schools.

Numeral System

Arabic Numerals

The Malay language uses Arabic numerals (0–9) for representing numbers, similar to most world languages. These numerals are used for all mathematical operations, time, dates, and other quantitative measures.

Malay Number Words

Malay has indigenous words for numbers, such as ‘satu’ for one, ‘dua’ for two, ‘tiga’ for three, and so on. These number words are used in everyday speech and writing and are important cultural markers.

Complex Numbers

In Malay, complex numbers are often formed using base numbers combined with multipliers. For example, twenty-five would be “dua puluh lima,” literally meaning “two tens and five.”

Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers are typically formed by placing the prefix ‘ke-‘ before the cardinal number. For example, ‘pertama’ (first) is derived from ‘satu’ (one) by changing the base and adding the prefix, resulting in ‘ke-pertama.’

Contemporary Usage

Digital Compatibility

The Latin-based Malay alphabet is highly compatible with digital platforms and has full Unicode support. This has facilitated the language’s presence on the internet, in digital media, and in information technology.

Loanwords and Adaptation

Modern Malay has absorbed numerous loanwords from languages like Sanskrit, Arabic, English, and Dutch. These loanwords are usually adapted to fit Malay phonological rules but are often written as they are in their original scripts, especially if they involve technical or specialized terminology.

Education

In countries like Malaysia and Singapore, Malay is taught as a compulsory subject in schools, further reinforcing the use of the Latin script. Jawi, although less common, is also taught, particularly in religious contexts.

Conclusion

The Malay language boasts a rich history of scripts and numeral systems that mirror the region’s diverse influences—from early indigenous scripts to Arabic and Latin alphabets. Today, its writing and numeral systems are efficient, practical, and well-suited for modern usage. The Latin alphabet, with its simplicity and global recognition, serves the language well in an increasingly digital and interconnected world. Nevertheless, traditional scripts like Jawi continue to hold cultural and religious significance, making the landscape of Malay orthography a fascinating blend of the ancient and the modern.