A Manual of the Malay language. Sir William Edward Maxwell
(to lick), lîdha (licked)
Time and its division and measurement have supplied a number of Sanskrit terms to the Malay language, most of which are so necessary in everyday life that it is difficult to conceive the poverty of a dialect which contained no words to express them. The following list contains the greater number of them:—
| English. | Malay. | Sanskrit. | Other Languages. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | kâla, kâli | kâla | J. and S. kala. |
| When | tatkâla | tad (this) kâla | |
| Time, period | katika | ghatikâ (a division of time) | Bat. katika; D. katika. |
| Time, period, hour | dewâsa | divasa (a day) | J. diwasa, adult; Mak. rewusa. |
| Just now | tâdî | tad (this, that) | S. tadi. |
| Day | hârî | hari (the sun) | J. and B. hari. |
| Day | dîna | dina | J. dina. |
| Dawn | dînahârî | from dina and hari | |
| Evening, sunset | senja, or senja- kala | saṃdhyâ (twilight) | Bat. sonja; J. chandik-kala, evg. twilight. |
| Always | santîasa | nityaças | J. nityasa. |
| Old, former | sadîa | ||
| Former time | sadîa-kâla | sâdhya (from sâdh, to finish, accomplish) | |
| Continually | sada-kâla | sâda (perishing) | |
| Time (when) | bîla | velâ | |
| Time, season, period | mâsa | mâsa (month) | J. and S. mangsa; Tag. masa. |
Another group of Sanskrit words found in Malay is that comprising articles of commerce, weights and measures, &c. Their presence suffices without other evidence to show that for their knowledge of the commercial value of many products the East Indian islanders were indebted to traders from Hindustan, who, indeed, probably introduced not only the names of, but the use of, their weights and measures. Buah pala, the Malay phrase for the “nutmeg,” is in strictness a pleonasm, for phala signifies “fruit” in Sanskrit, as buah does in Malay.
TERMS OF COMMERCE.
| English. | Malay. | Sanskrit. | Other Languages. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nutmeg | pâla | phala (fruit) | J. and S. pala. |
| Clove | lawang | lavaṃga | |
| Eagle-wood | găhârû | aguru | J., S., and Mak. garu; D. garo, perfume. |
| Camphor | kâpur, kâpur bârus | karpûra | J., S., and D. kapur-barus; Mak. kaporo barusu |
| Sandalwood | chandâna | chandana | J. and S. chendana; Tag. and Bis. sandana |
| Musk | kastûrî | kastûrî | J. and S. kasturi; Mak. kasaturi; Tag, and Bis. kastoli. |
| Charcoal | ârang | aṅgâra | J. and S. areng; S. arang; Bat. agong; D. aring; Tag. and Bis. oling. |
| Sugar | gûla | guḍa (molasses) | J., S., and D. gula; Mak. golla. |
| Saltpetre | sandâwa | saindhava (rocksalt) | J. sendawa; S. chindawa. |
| Silk | sûtra | sûtra (thread, fibre) | J. and S. sutra; Bat. suntora; Mak; and Bu. sutara; Tag. sutla. |
| Cotton | kâpas | karpâsa | J., S., and D. kapas Bat. hapas; Mak. kapasa; Bis. gapas. |
| Gunny-bag | gônî | goṇi | S. goné |
| Price | harga | argha | S. and Bat. harga; J. and D. rega; Mak. angga; Tag. and Bis. halaga. |
| Profit | lâba | lâbha | Kw., Bat., Mak., and D. laba; Tag. and Bis. laba, increase, usury. |
| Scales for weighing | narâcha | nârâchî (a gold smith’s scales) | Kw. naracha; J. and S. traju |
| A bhar (native weight = 3 pikuls) | băhâra | bhâra (a load, a weight) | Kw. and Mak. bara 100 millions: Bis. bala, to load on the back. |
| A cubit | hasta | hasta | J. and S. asta. |
| A number, figure | ângka | aṅka (a mark, a cipher) | J. ongka; S., Mak., Bu., and D. angka. |
| Ten thousand | laksa | laksha (100,000) | J. leksa; S., D., Tag. and Bis. laksa; Bat. loksa; Mak., lassa. |
| A million | jûta | ayuta (10,000) | J. and S. yuta. |
Many of the metals and most of the precious stones are known to the Malays by their Sanskrit names, even those which are found in Malay countries.
| English. | Malay. | Sanskrit. | Other Languages. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | âmas, mas | mas (to mete, to measure) | J. emas; S. mas; Bat. omas; D. amas; Tag. and Bis. amas, gold, weight. |
| Gold | kanchâna | kânchana | Kw. and S. kanchana. |
| Copper | tambâga | tâmra | J. tembaga; S. tambaga; Bat. tombaga; Mak. tambaga; Tag. and Bis. tumbaga. |
| Tin | tîmah | tîvra | J., S., and D. timah; Bat. simbora; Mak. timbera; Tag. and Bis. tingga. |
| Quicksilver | râsa | rasa | J., S., Mak., and D. rasa. |
| Pinchbeck | suwâsa | suvarchasa (brilliant) | J., S., Bat., and Mak. suwasa. |
| Glass | kâcha | kâcha | J., S., Mak., and Bu. kacha; D. kacha; and kasa; Tag. kasa, blue and green stone. |
| Mica | âbrak19 | abhra (amber, talc) | |
| Crystal | golega | golaka (globule) | |
| Jewel, precious stone | mânî | maṇi | J. mani. |
| Do. | mânikam | maṇika | Kw. and S. manikem; Mak. manikang. |
| Do. | kamâla | kamala (lotus) | Kw. kuma‘a; Bat. humala, snake-stone. |
| Sapphire | nîlam (nîla, blue) | nîla (blue) | J. and S. nila; Mak. nyila, blue. |
| Opal | bidûri | vidûra (a mountain which produces lapis lazuli) | |
| Ruby | dalîma | dâlima (pomegranate) | |
| Jewel, brilliant | mustîka | mushtika (goldsmith) | |
| Topaze | pusparâgam | pushparâga | |
| Pearl | mutia, mutiara | muktâ | |
| Jewel, precious stone | permâta | paramata (excellence) | Kw. pramati, a very beautiful object. |
| Jewels of five kinds | panchalôgam | panchaloha (five metals) |
The implements, utensils, instruments, &c., the names of which, if not the things themselves, the Malay races have borrowed from their Indian conquerors and rulers, are as follows:—
| English. | Malay. | Sanskrit. | Other Languages. |
|---|---|---|---|
| A lock | kunchî | kunchikâ (a key) | J., S., and D. kunchi; Bat. hunsi; Mak. konchi. |
| A bell | ganta | ghaṇṭâ | J. and S. genta; Bat. gonta; D. ganta; Mak. garaganta. |
| A water vessel | kindî | kuṇḍî | J. and S. kendi. |
| A net | jâla | jâla | J., S., Bat., Mak., and D. jala. |
| A box | petî | peṭî (basket, bag) | S. peti; Mak. patti; D. pati. |
| Name of a sword | chora | kshura (a razor) | |
| A plough | tanggâla | hala | Bat. tinggala; Mak. nangkala. |
| Chess | châtur | chatur (four) | J. and S. chatur. |
| Dice | jûdî | dyûta (game at dice) | J. judi; Bat. juji. |
| A saw | gargâjî | krakacha | J. |