Kampong/ kampung
- Small villages that are located on the outskirts of
town. Malaysian often use the word ‘kampong’ to their hometown e.g
when they say ‘balik kampung’ it means ‘going home’.
Nyonya
(or Nonya) refers to the women who are
descendents of the early Chinese
settlers in Malaysia. Many Chinese men married the locals or adopted the some
Malay cultural practices resulting in a unique culture which is a
mix of Malay and Chinese. These people are referred to as the Peranakans
(see below) or Baba and Nyonya.
Baba refers to the male descendents.
Kongsi
houses/ clan houses - Chinese clan house built by Chinese migrants to the Malaya
during the 19th or 20th century.
The word ‘Kongsi’
comes from the Hokkien dialect which indicates firm partnership or
society. (In Hokkien the word kongsi literally means
share) A ‘kongsi’ is an association of individuals set up by
Chinese immigrants from the same dialect group or those from the
same area in China. Kongsi institution was set up not only in the
Malay Peninsular but also in many parts of South East Asia. The
kongsi system was established to hold people of the same home
country and clans in a closer tie and relationship.
Pre-war
houses/ buildings / shophouses - buildings built before the second world war.
Refers to mainly buildings built in the 19th century and early 20th
century. Many of these houses in the heart of the city are use
for commercial purposes (called shophouses). Some serve as both
residence above stairs and shop below.
Peranakan
(or Baba and Nonya)- They are decedents of Chinese who
emigrated, mainly from the Hokkien Province, in China during the 18th
and 19th century settling in the region called the
Straits Settlements (Penang, Melaka and Singapore). Through the
years of assimilating with the local population (some marrying with
Malays), they developed a unique culture (language, food, custom and
dressing) that is a unique blend of Malay and Chinese. These
people were known in the region as Peranakans (meaning ‘local born’
in Malay), or Babas (men) and Nonyas (women), or Straits Chinese.
On the Road
Malay terminology for road signs and road names
Malay |
English |
awas /
bahaya |
Danger |
beri jalan |
give way |
gostan |
go astern/
reverse |
had |
limit |
had laju |
speed limit |
henti |
stop |
ikut kiri |
keep left |
jalan |
road |
jalan mati |
dead end |
jalan
sehala |
one-way
street |
kurangkan
laju / pelahan |
go slow |
lebuh |
street |
lebuh raya |
highway |
persiaran |
lane |
tol |
toll |
tutup /
jalan tutup |
closed /
road is closed |
bayaran |
payment |
‘Touch ‘N
Go’ |
refers to a
road cash card that can be purchased at the PLUS office or
some of the toll counters along the North South Highway |
jejantas |
crossing |
kenderaan |
vehicle |
kereta |
car |
lori |
lorry |
motobaik |
motorcycle |
tempat
letak kereta |
parking |
MORE Malay-English words at
English Malay Dictionary |