ENGLISH REVIEW: Journal of English Education ISSN 2301-7554 Vol. 4, Issue 2, June 2016 https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/ERJEE THE COMPARISONS AND CONTRASTS BETWEEN ENGLISH AND MALAY LANGUAGES Mohd Nazri Latiff Azmi Lidwina Teo Pik Ching Norbahyah Binti Jamaludin Muhammad Nur Haziq Bin Ramli Muhammad Habibbullah Bin Razali Muhammad Ammar Yasser Bin Amram Kauselya A/P Jayakumar Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Malaysia Email: [email protected] APA Citation: Azmi, M. N. L., Ching, L. T. P., Norbahyah, Haziq, M. N., Habibullah, M., Yasser, M. A., & Jayakumar, K. (2016). The comparison and contrasts between English and Malay languages. English Review, 4(2), 209-218 Received: 22-02-2016 Accepted: 29-03-2016 Published: 01-06-2016 Abstract: English and Malay languages are categorized as popular languages in the world. However, both languages underwent different history and composition. This study investigates the languages in terms of history, phonology, loanwords, grammar, morphology and semantics. The purposes of studying the comparisons and contrasts of both languages are not only to analyze the uniqueness of the languages but also to identify the process of understanding the languages especially the view of second language learners. It is found that two languages come from different background; somehow they share similar characteristics such as the vowels sounds, loanwords and semantics. However, the learners face difficulty in learning both languages especially in pronunciations and spelling. Keywords: English language, Malay language, history of language INTRODUCTION language. Acquiring a language implies Language is a complex way of acquiring all those structures. This paper communication that is used by human aims to compare and contrast two beings to communicate with each other; different languages that are English and there are tons of different languages that Malay. are used by people today and more yet Both of the languages can be to be discovered. There are scientific divided into three periods. For English studies of languages called as linguistics language, history can be explained as scientists learn about the comparison through three phases which are Old and contrast of pronunciation and English (450-1100 AD), Middle English grammatical structure of a language. As (1100-1500 AD) and Modern English languages gradually develop and (1500 AD). On the other hand, for Malay expand, they started to have their Language, Old Malay (682-1500 C.E), structure that every language has its Modern Malay (c.1500-1957) and unique structures and different from one Contemporary Malay (1957) were three another. Beginning with the sound significant periods in whole Malay system to meaning also known as history. semantics, they form the foundation of a 209 Mohd Nazri Latiff Azmi, et all. The Comparisons and Contrasts Between English and Malay Languages The beginnings of these languages Scandinavian language brought slightly differ from one another. For Old influence in English Language. Around English, three Germanic tribes (Saxon, 878 AD, Danes and Norsemen called Angles, & Jutes) came to the British Isles Vikings invaded the country and English from various parts of northwest got many Norse words including sky, Germany at 5th century AD. These tribes egg, cake, skin, window, husband, call, were warlike and pushed out most of the die, etc. Furthermore, in Middle English, original, Celtic-speaking inhabitants the French language contributes its from England to Scotland, Wales and influence. By about 1200, England and Cornwall. One group migrated to France had split, English changed a lot Brittany Cost of France where their because it was mostly being spoken descendant still speaks the Celtic instead of being written for about 300 Language of Breton today. Through the years. The period of Old English was years, the Saxon, Angles, Jutes mixed almost over after William the Conqueror, their difference Germanic dialects. This The Duke of Normandy and his nobles group of dialects forms what linguists who spoke French and Middle English refer as Old English whereas old Malay was being formed. Examples of Old begins with records of poems and English word used such as Crown, thoughts on writing material made from Castle, Parliament, Banquet, art, poet, plants described as the sharp cursive romance, servant (Newmark, 1988). Rencong, an ancient script believed to be According to Nik (1989), in the native to South-East Asia (Nor history of Malay language, a few Hashimah, 2004). languages influence in it. At the Both of the languages do have beginning of old Malay, many Pallava influences from other languages in some words from Vatteluttu, India bring aspects. In the history of English changes in Malay language. This is due language, the Latin language played a to Indians set feet on Malay Archipelago. role. Roman came to Britain and brought Other than that, Sanskrit brings Latin to Britain which was part of the influenced in Malay vocabulary. Roman Empire for over 400 years. Many Examples of words used such as Agama, word passes on from this era and those Akasara, Angkasa, Anugerah, Bahasa, Bakti, corned by Roman Merchants and soldier. Bangsa, Barat, Biara, Bidadari. Portuguese Examples of word used such as Win language also brought changes in the (Wine), Candel (Candle), Belt (belt) and Malay language. In the year 1511, the Weal (wall). The arrival of St. Augustine Portuguese conquered Malacca and in 597AD and the introduction of Latin Alphabets in place of Jawi writing Christianity into Saxon England brought called Rumi. Although the conquest is many words into English Language. short lived, the impact of Portuguese There were mostly concerned with Language is large. Words used in naming of church, dignitaries, and Portuguese Language are Almari, Baldi, ceremonies. Church, Bishop, baptism Bangku, Biola. came indirectly from Latin. Other than that, Celtic language brought changes. METHOD This Celtic language was seen in names This comparative study involves of rivers. For instance, Kent, York, only document analysis in which Dover, Cumberland, Thames, Avon, established and well-accepted texts Trent etc. In addition, Norse language or pertaining to the contexts, processes and 210 ENGLISH REVIEW: Journal of English Education ISSN 2301-7554 Vol. 4, Issue 2, June 2016 https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/ERJEE procedures were scrutinized and ‘laut’ (sea) and /oi/ in ‘boikot’ (boycott). analyzed. A thorough study of the These examples show that the three important elements of both languages Malay diphthongs are the same as three we checked and corrected by several of English diphthongs that are /aɪ /, experienced linguists of both languages /aʊ/ and /ɔɪ / respectively. and given a serious concern. There are seven important places of articulation in English according to RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Kristin Denham and Anne Lobeck, that The phonology of English and are bilabial, labiodental, dental, alveolar, Malay languages is different in the palatal, velar and glottal but Malay quantity of vocals and diphthongs, place phonology has labio-velar and no and manner of articulation. In English labiodentals and dental sounds. For sound system, there are 12 vocals, 24 manner of articulation, both Malay and consonants and 8 diphthongs whereas English phonologies have six manners there are 6 vocals, 27 consonants (19 with voiced and voiceless pronunciation native consonants and 8 consonants that respectively. In English, they are stop, appear only in borrowed words) and 3 fricative, affricate, nasal, approximant diphthongs in Malay sound system. and glide. In Malay, they are plosive or (Tien-Ping Tan, Bali Ranaivo-Malançon). affricate, fricative, nasal, trill, The vocals that are similar in approximant and lateral. Two tables English and Malay languages include [a], below show the consonant chart of both [e], [i], [o], [u] and schwa. For example, English and Malay Languages. [a] sound appears in ‘up’ and ‘awal’ Based on the Table 1 and 2, it can (early) respectively; [e] sound shows in be said that [w] sound in ‘one’ is the ‘bed’ and ‘enak’ (tasty) accordingly; [i] example of glide in English but in ‘wajar’ sound appears in ‘igloo’ and ‘ikan’ (fish) (reasonable) is the example of respectively; [o] sound presents in approximant in Malay etc. It is ‘opposite’ as well as ‘oleh’ (by) undeniable that the sound [b] is similar accordingly; [u] sound appears in in both English and Malay that are ‘unicorn’ and ‘ubat’ (medicine) ‘barber’ and ‘batik’ (one type of cloth) as respectively; schwa sound appears in examples respectively (Murni, 2013). ‘awhile’ and ‘emak’ (mother) As we know, Malay language or accordingly. On the other hand, /æ/ in Bahasa Melayu is the national language in ‘cat’, /ɒ / in ‘hot’, /i:/ in ‘see’ etc. are the Malaysia, while English is the second instances for the vocals that are included language and also the international in English phonology and different from language. Both of them are two Malay phonology. important languages in Malaysia that Moreover, there are eight began from British colonization. As we diphthongs in English phonology and can see, Malay language tends to borrow three in Malay. In English phonology, a lot of English words rather than vice they are /aɪ / in ‘five’, /aʊ/ in ‘now’, versa. English seems to be the dominant /eɪ / in ‘say’, /oʊ/ in ‘go’, /ɔɪ / in language in this case because some ‘boy’, English loanwords in Malay are more /eə/ in ‘air’, /ɪə / in ‘near’ and /ʊə/ in than that of Malay loanwords in English. ‘pure’. Meanwhile, in Malay phonology, they are /ai/ in ‘kain’ (cloth), /au/ in 211 Mohd Nazri Latiff Azmi, et all. The Comparisons and Contrasts Between English and Malay Languages Table 1. International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) Chart Table 2. Malay Consonant Chart According to Deterding (2013), a category is the loanword that remains its loanword is a word adopted from a spelling for both languages and brings foreign language with little or no the same meaning. For example, ‘atom’ modification.