Indonesian and Standard Malay are one of the most spoken Austronesian languages which descended from Malay language. Both are standardized language spoken in Indonesia and Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore. Differences between the two include pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary (lexis), spelling, punctuation, idioms, and formatting of dates and numbers. However, the differences in written and most spoken grammar structure tend to be much fewer than in other aspects of the language in terms of mutual intelligibility. A few words have completely different meanings in the two versions or are even unknown or not used in one of the versions.
To non-native speakers the two varieties may seem identical, but to native speakers the differences are noticeable through both diction and accent. They affect the broadcasting industry with regard to foreign language subtitling, for example, in DVD movies and on cable TV. In order to reach a wider audience, both Indonesian and Malay subtitles are sometimes displayed in a movie, along with other language subtitles. Another example is Malaysian TV providing Malay subtitling on Indonesian sinetrons (TV dramas) aired in Malaysia,[1] and vice versa.[2]
The Malay language in Indonesia and Malaysia also differs in recognition, where in Malaysia it enjoys status as the national language (Malaysian language),[3] while in Indonesia it is considered a regional language in Malay-speaking areas such as the eastern coast of Sumatra and West Kalimantan.[4][5] The term "Malay language" (Bahasa Melayu) in Indonesia and Malaysia invites different perceptions from its respective people.[6] To Malaysians, the Malay language is generally understood as the national language of Malaysia, with Malay language (Bahasa Melayu) being a precise appellation for the Malay variety used in the country.[7] Between 1986 and 2007, the term Bahasa Melayu was used instead of Bahasa Malaysia, until the latter was reinstated, in order to instill a sense of belonging among Malaysians of all races, rather than just Malays.[8][9] Therefore, there was no clear distinction between the use of the term Malay (Bahasa Melayu) and the national language of Malaysia (Bahasa Malaysia). In Brunei, where Malay is also an official language, the language is known as Bahasa Melayu and in English as "Malay".[10][11]
In Indonesia, however, there is a clear distinction between "Malay language" (bahasa Melayu) and "Indonesian" (bahasa Indonesia). Indonesian is the national language which serves as the unifying language of Indonesia; despite being a standardized form of Malay, it is not referred to with the term "Malay" in common parlance.[12] The term "Malay" is usually reserved for the forms of Malay indigenous to the Malay ethnic group (the national standardized language of Malaysia and the non-standard idioms of Malay people, including those used by Malay Indonesians). Thus, "Malay" is considered a regional language (bahasa daerah) in Indonesia, enjoying the same status as e.g. Javanese, Sundanese, Buginese, Balinese, Batak languages and others.[13] Moreover, to some Indonesians, the term "Malay" is more often associated with Malaysia and the Malaysian variety of Malay.
Pronunciation also tends to be very different, with Standard Singapore, East (Borneo) Malaysia, Brunei and Standard Indonesian pronouncing words in a form called Bahasa Baku,[14][15] where the words are pronounced as spelled.[16] Moreover, enunciation tends to be clipped, staccato and faster than on the Malay Peninsula, which is spoken at a more languorous pace. Many vowels are pronounced (and were formerly spelt) differently in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Sumatra: tujuh is pronounced (and was spelt) tujoh, pilih as pileh, etc., and many final a's tend to be pronounced as schwas; and are also allophones of /i/ and /u/ in closed final syllables in peninsular Malaysian, Singaporean and Sumatran varieties of Malay.[17][18][19]
Example | Johor-Riau (Piawai)
Pronunciation |
Northern Peninsular
Pronunciation |
Baku & Indonesian
Pronunciation | |
---|---|---|---|---|
⟨a⟩ in final open syllable | ⟨kereta⟩ | /ə/ | /a/ | /a/ |
⟨i⟩ in final closed syllable with final ⟨n⟩ and ⟨ng⟩ | ⟨salin⟩ | /e/ | /i/ | /i/ |
⟨i⟩ in final closed syllable with other final consonants | ⟨itik⟩ | /e/ | /e/ | /i/ |
⟨u⟩ in final closed syllable with final ⟨n⟩ and ⟨ng⟩ | ⟨agung⟩ | /o/ | /u/ | /u/ |
⟨u⟩ in final closed syllable with other final consonants | ⟨lumpur⟩ | /o/ | /o/ | /u/ |
final ⟨r⟩ | ⟨lumpur⟩ | ∅ | /r/ | /r/ |
Certain words spelled similarly or the same in both Indonesian and Standard Malay may be pronounced differently.
Word | Translation | Indonesian pronunciation | Johor-Selangor Malay pronunciation | |
---|---|---|---|---|
ATM | ATM | see Appendix:Malay alphabet for names of letters in Indonesian and Standard Malay. Pronunciation of initialisms differ between the two languages. | ||
generasi (Indonesian), générasi (Malay) | generation | Indonesian pronunciation based on Dutch generatie. Malay pronunciation based on English generation. | ||
kor (Indonesian), koir (Malay) | choir | Indonesian pronunciation based on Dutch koor. Standard Malay pronunciation based on English choir. | ||
presiden (Indonesian), présiden (Malay) | president | Indonesian pronunciation based on Dutch president. Standard Malay pronunciation based on English president. | ||
teknologi | technology | the suffix -logi/-ologi (“-ology”) are pronounced like Dutch -logie/-ologie in Indonesian, while it is pronounced like English -logy/-ology in Standard Malay. |
The familiarity of speakers with words and phrases from different regions varies, and the difficulty of discerning an unfamiliar definition also depends on the context and the term. As expressions spread with the globalisation of telecommunication, they are often but not always recognised as foreign to the speaker's dialect, and words from other dialects may carry connotations with regard to register, social status, origin, and intelligence.
Indonesian | Standard Malay | |
---|---|---|
e | /e~ɛ/ | /ə/ |
é | /e/ | /e/ |
è | /ɛ/ | - |
ê | /ə/ | - |
ĕ | - | /ə/ |