| Sambas Malay | |
|---|---|
| Base Melayu Sambas بيس ملايو سمبس | |
| Pronunciation | [basəmə.la.juˈsam.bas] |
| Native to | Indonesia (West Kalimantan) |
| Region | Sambas,Bengkayang andSingkawang |
| Ethnicity | Sambas Malays |
Native speakers | (603,111 cited 1982)[1] |
Austronesian
| |
| Latin (Indonesian alphabet) Jawi | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | samb1326 |
 Regencies and cities in West Kalimantan where Sambas Malay is spoken by the majority of the population Regencies and cities in West Kalimantan where Sambas Malay is spoken by a significant minority of the population | |
| This article containsIPA phonetic symbols. Without properrendering support, you may seequestion marks, boxes, or other symbols instead ofUnicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, seeHelp:IPA. | |
Sambas Malay (Sambas Malay:Base Melayu Sambas,Jawi: بيس ملايو سمبس) is aMalayic language primarily spoken by theMalay people living inSambas Regency in the northwestern part ofWest Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is also widely used inBengkayang andSingkawang, both of which were formerly part of Sambas Regency before being split in 1999 and 2001 respectively.[2] Sambas Malay contains unique vocabulary not found in Indonesian or standard Malay, although it shares many similarities with the vocabularies of both languages.[3] It is closely related toSarawak Malay, spoken in the neighboring Malaysian state ofSarawak, particularly in terms of vocabulary. The border between Sambas and Sarawak has fostered a long-standing connection between the Sambas Malay community and the Sarawak Malay community, existing even before the formation of Malaysia and Indonesia.[4] It is also more distantly related to other Malay dialects spoken in West Kalimantan, such asPontianak Malay, which exhibits significant phonological differences.[5]
In Sambas, Sambas Malay serves as a language of interaction and culture, not just among the Sambas Malay people but also with other ethnic groups. This means that Sambas Malay is not only a means of communication within the community but also plays a vital role in preserving cultural elements such as traditional ceremonies and folklore.[6] Nevertheless, most Sambas Malays are bilingual, speaking both Sambas Malay and standardIndonesian. On the other hand, other ethnic groups in Sambas, such as theChinese andDayak, are also proficient in Sambas Malay alongside their native tongue and Indonesian. The language is also the primary language of theSultanate of Sambas, an Islamicsultanate historically ruling the region, though it no longer holds any political power today.[7]
Sambas Malay is aMalayic language. Speakers of Malayic languages are spread fromBrunei, Indonesia,Malaysia, Singapore,Southern Thailand, to the southernmost part of thePhilippines. Malay is a member of theAustronesian family of languages, which includes languages fromTaiwan, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Ocean, with a smaller number in continental Asia.Malagasy, a geographic outlier spoken inMadagascar in the Indian Ocean, is also a member of this language family. Although these languages are not necessarilymutually intelligible to any extent, their similarities are often quite apparent. In more conservative languages like Malay, many roots have come with relatively little change from their common ancestor,Proto-Austronesian. There are manycognates found in the languages' words for kinship, health, body parts and common animals. Numbers, especially, show remarkable similarities.[8]
Sambas Malay is closely related toSarawak Malay, sharing significant lexical similarities. For instance, both dialects use words likekamek forI,pangkong forto hit, andmaok forwant, among others.[4] Some studies classify Sambas Malay as part of the Coastal Borneo Malay language group, which includesBrunei Malay,Berau Malay,Banjarese, andKutainese.[9] It is also distantly related toPontianak Malay and other Malay dialects spoken in other parts of West Kalimantan. However, there are significant differences between Sambas Malay and Pontianak Malay, especially in terms of phonology.[10]
Sambas Malay is predominantly spoken in the northwestern part ofWest Kalimantan, particularly inSambas Regency. It is also spoken in the neighboringBengkayang Regency and the city ofSingkawang, both of which were originally part of Sambas Regency before becoming separate administrative regions. The Malay dialect spoken in Singkawang originates from Sambas Malay, as does its culture.[11] However, it has undergone some blending withIndonesian, so it is no longer entirely Sambas Malay. Nevertheless, in northern Singkawang, many residents still use pure Sambas Malay without any mixture, particularly in the Naram subdistrict, where the community remains closely tied to Malay language and culture.[12] Sambas Malay is also spoken in Telok Melano village and other border villages inSarawak,Malaysia, near the West Kalimantan border. The speakers in these areas are primarily descendants of Sambas Malays who migrated there. However, the use of Sambas Malay is predominantly confined to older generations, as younger residents are generally more fluent in theKuching dialect ofSarawak Malay.[13][14]
InMalay-populated settlements across Sambas and its surrounding areas, Sambas Malay serves as the primary language for daily communication.[15] For the Sambas Malays, Sambas Malay is used as both a language of social interaction and a cultural language. This means that, in addition to serving as a means of communication among community members, Sambas Malay is also a medium for preserving other cultural aspects, such as traditional performances, ceremonies, and folklore.[16] Most Sambas Malays are bilingual in both Sambas Malay and Indonesian.[16]Code-switching between the two languages is common, especially in settings like markets, where people from diverse ethnic backgrounds are present.[17] In local government offices and schools, Sambas Malay is regarded as acolloquial language and is commonly used in informal settings, while Indonesian is reserved for formal occasions.[18] Sambas Malay also serves as alingua franca for interethnic communication between Malays and other ethnic groups, such as theDayak andChinese communities.[19] Additionally, the Indonesian dialect spoken in Singkawang, Sambas, and the surrounding areas has been significantly influenced by Sambas Malay, particularly in terms of tone and pronunciation.[20]
The Sambas Malay language encompasses several dialects, notably the 'e' and 'o' dialects. The differences in these dialects primarily lies in the phonology. The Malay spoken in the town ofSambas closely resembles the dialect spoken in Ngabang inLandak Regency, theDayak Nyaduʼ language, andPontianak Malay. The dialect in the vicinity of the former Panembahan Sambas Kingdom, the precursor to theSultanate of Sambas, located in Teluk Keramat District, is thought to have been influenced by both Sambas Malay andJavanese. This connection is linked to the history of Panembahan Sambas, established by a king from theMajapahit Kingdom who fled with his entourage fromJava. As a result, Sambas Malay dialects in areas such as Teluk Keramat, Sajad, and Paloh display notable Javanese influences.[21]
Sambas Malay, like many otherregional languages in Indonesia, lacks a standardized phonological system. Nevertheless, many of the phonological system designed for Sambas Malay is loosely based on standardIndonesian orthography, especially the system created by the IndonesianMinistry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.
LikeIndonesian andStandard Malay, Sambas Malay has six vowels. These vowels are /i/, /e/, /ə/, /a/, /u/, and /o/,[22]
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | u | |
| Mid | e | ə | o |
| Open | a |
Notes:
Sambas Malay has 19 consonants.[23]
| Labial | Dental | Alveolar | Postalveolar | Velar | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |||
| Plosive/ | voiceless | p | t | t͡ʃ | k | ʔ | |
| voiced | b | d | d͡ʒ | ɡ | |||
| Fricative | voiceless | s | h | ||||
| voiced | |||||||
| Approximant | w | l | j | ||||
| Trill | r | ||||||
Notes:
In writing, the following phonemes are represented as thus:
In Sambas Malay, there are threediphthongs: /ai/, /au/, and /oi/, which are pronounced as [ay], [aw], and [oy], respectively.[24] Examples of the usage of these diphthongs are shown below:
Along withIndonesian,standard Malay, and otherMalayic languages, the word order in Sambas Malay is typicallysubject-verb-object (SVO). While there are notable exceptions, the grammar structure of Sambas Malay shares many similarities with Indonesian and Standard Malay.
Affixation, or the process of adding affixes, refers to attaching an affix to a base word, whether it is a simple or complex form, to create a new word. In Sambas Malay, there are several types of affixation:prefixation,suffixation, andcircumfixation.[25]
The table below presents a list of affixes used in Sambas Malay, along with theirallomorphs, meanings, and examples:
| Type of affixes | Affixes | Allomorphs | Meanings | Example of root word | Example of derived word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prefixes[26] | bé- | bél-, bér- | Expressing possession, performing an action, indicating usage, producing or emitting something, denoting reciprocity, calling or naming, indicating a collective, describing a state or condition, marking intransitivity, and expressing reflexive actions.[26] | bini 'wife' | bébini 'to have a wife' |
| mé- | mém-, mén-, méng-, mény | Performing an action (or movement), making or producing something, moving towards a direction, becoming or acting in a way described by the root word, resembling what is described in the root word, commemorating a particular event, performing an action as described in the root word, doing work with an instrument or tool mentioned in the root word, and creating or producing something as described in the root word.[27] | laot 'sea' | mélaot 'to go to the sea' | |
| pé- | pém-, pén-, péng-, pény- | Someone who performs or habitually performs an action, a tool or instrument used to carry out an action, someone who frequently or habitually engages in an activity, someone or something possessing the qualities described by the root word, and someone or something that causes or creates a particular outcome.[28] | minom 'to drink' | péminom 'drinker' | |
| di- | none | Formation of passive verbs.[29] | sapu 'broom' | disapu 'to be swept' | |
| ké- | none | Denotes "the one being..." and numerals indicating sequence or grouping.[29] | limak 'five' | kélimak 'fifth' | |
| té- | none | Denotes an action that has been completed, an action that continues, an action occurring unintentionally, the ability to do something ("can be..."), or an action done repeatedly or to an intense degree.[30] | gantong 'hanging' | tégantong 'is hanging' | |
| sé- | none | Indicating "something," expressing "togetherness," denoting "entirety," referring to "a single time (simultaneously)," signifying "similarity or resemblance," and representing "a certain amount or quantity."[31] | kampong 'village' | sékampong 'the whole village' | |
| Suffixes[32] | -an | none | Denote the result or outcome of an action or refer to something "being" or "having been" as described in the root word. The suffix also conveys notions of entirety or collectiveness, resemblance, and the possession of a quality mentioned in the root word.[33] | maén 'to play' | maénan 'toys' |
| -ék | none | Indicating a place or direction where the object of the sentence signifies a specific location or target, denoting the act of giving or causing something and implying that an action leads to a particular outcome. It also suggests that an activity is repetitive or involves multiple participants and conveys the idea of removing or discarding what is referenced in the root word.[34] | tanyé 'to ask' | nanyaék 'to ask someone' | |
| -kan | none | Denoting the act of creating, causing, or making something, as well as indicating the use of something as a tool or performing an action on behalf of someone else.[35] | kacék 'small' | kacékkan 'to make something smaller' | |
| Circumfixes[36] | pé-...-an | pém-, pén-, péng-, pény- | Formation of nouns from root words.[36] | carék 'to find' | péncarékan 'findings' |
| ké-...-an | none | Express a state or condition, indicate being affected by or experiencing something, denote an action performed unintentionally, or signify an excessive degree of something.[37] | hujan 'rain' | kéhujanan 'caught in the rain' |
In Sambas Malay,reduplication is categorized into three types: total reduplication, affixed reduplication, and pseudo-reduplication. Total reduplication involves the complete repetition of the root word without any addition ofaffixes or alteration in form. Affixed reduplication occurs when the root word is repeated along with the addition of affixes, which may appear at the beginning, middle, or end of the word. This type is further divided into full and partial reduplication. In full reduplication, the entire word, including its affixes, is repeated. In contrast, partial reduplication repeats only the root word, excluding the affix. Lastly, pseudo-reduplication refers to the repetition of words that lack a true root word or whose meaning changes when not repeated, often serving no grammatical function.[38]
The meaning of reduplication becomes clearer when the repeated forms are used in sentences. Typically, reduplication conveys various nuances, such as indicating plurality, expressing actions that occur repeatedly, denoting reciprocity or mutual interaction, emphasizing intensity, signifying sincerity or seriousness, describing conditions or times (e.g., "even though"), and highlighting the abundance of entities possessing a certain quality.[39]
Examples of reduplications in a sentence are:
The classification ofnouns in Sambas Malay is determined through an assessment of word forms and phraseological structures. Nouns can be formed by attaching prefixes, suffixes, or circumfixes to root words derived from adjectives or verbs.[40] For example:
Basic nouns that do not contain affixes can be identified through their use in specific phrases.[41] For example:
By attaching affixations, nouns can also be converted to verbs.[41] For example:
From a semantic perspective,Verbs in Sambas Malay indicate actions or behaviors. Morphologically, verbs in Sambas Malay can be formed by combining root words with affixes.[42] For example:
Basic verbs that do not contain affixes can be identified through their use in specific phrases or sentences. For example:
By using affixes, a verb can be changed into another type of word such as a noun. For example:
Semantically,adjectives in Sambas Malay are words that describe nouns, providing information about their qualities, states, or specific characteristics. Most adjectives in Sambas Malay are in the form of free morphemes (simple forms).[43] For example:
Structurally, adjectives in Sambas Malay also include words that can take the form ofsé- + reduplication of the root word + -ng (ornyé).[43] For example:
In Sambas Malay sentences, adjectives can be intensified usinginyan 'very' orpaléng 'most'. For example:
In Sambas Malay, some adjectives vary in intensity while still describing the same qualities or characteristics.[44] For example:
Adjectives can also be changed into another type of word such as a verb or noun. For example:
In Sambas Malay,numerals cannot be identified solely by their form but rather by their semantic characteristics. Numerals in Sambas Malay are words that provide information about the quantity of objects.[45] For example:
The analysis offunction words in Sambas Malay is based on a structural review. Unlike primary word types, function words in Sambas Malay have the following characteristics: they lack lexical meaning, do not serve as the main function in a sentence, do not undergo morphological changes, function to expand sentences and indicate the structural meaning of sentences, and show the relationships within a sentence.[45] For example:
The bolded parts of the sentence,nang,garék, anddi, indicate relationships of difference, direction, and location. In addition to the function words mentioned above, Sambas Malay also contains several function words that serve as determiners or intensifiers. For example:
The determinerslah anddi in Sambas Malay have the same meaning, which is equivalent to the particlelah in Indonesian. The difference between the two lies in their usage. The determinerlah is placed after a verb or verb phrase, whiledi is placed after a noun or adjective.[46]
Pronouns cannot be identified based only on its form because it does not have specific characteristics. It will be discussed based on its function in a sentence. The function of pronouns is to replace a person, indicate possession, and point to or inquire about an object. In Sambas Malay, pronouns include:personal pronouns,possessive pronouns,demonstrative pronouns, andinterrogative pronouns.[47]
This table shows an overview over the most commonly and widely used personal pronouns in Sambas Malay.[47]
| Person | Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Exclusive | Inclusive | ||
| 1st person | aku, sayé, kolé | kamék | kité | |
| 2nd person | kitak, kau, niké, dirék | kitak | ||
| 3rd person | dié, biak iyé, bagindé | dié, maréké | ||
In Sambas Malay, the second-person singular pronounkitak is used by speakers in several villages outside the city ofSambas. The third-person plural pronounmaréké is not productive, and in casual speech, the formdié is commonly used for both singular and plural. The third-person singular pronounbiak iyé is used exclusively when referring to females, while the pronounbagindé is reserved for referring to royalty.[48]
The possessive pronoun is actually a type of personal pronoun that functions to indicate possession in a sentence. As a possessive pronoun, these words take a shortened form.[48] For example:
There is no difference in meaning between the binding forms-nyé and-'ng. The same applies to the binding form-ang. The distinction lies in the regional usage of these forms. The-ang binding form is used by speakers in the city of Sambas, while the other binding forms are used by speakers outside the city of Sambas.[48]
Demonstrative pronouns are words used to identify or point to an object, specifying its location in relation to the speaker, listener, or a third party. In Sambas Malay, examples includeitok 'this,' referring to something near the speaker;iyé 'that,' referring to something near the listener;sinon 'there,' indicating something near a third party;sitok 'here,' andsiyé 'there,' withsiyé denoting a location slightly closer thansinon.[49] Demonstrative pronounssinon,sitok, andsiyé in Sambas Malay are commonly preceded by the function wordsdi orké, resulting in phrases likedi sinon 'over there,'ké sitok 'to here,' andké siyé 'to there.'
Interrogative pronouns are words used to inquire about objects, people, or something else. Examples of interrogative pronouns in Sambas Malay includeapé 'what,' used to ask about objects;sapé 'who,' used to ask about people; andmané 'where,' used to inquire about choices involving a person, several items, or things.[49] These interrogative pronouns can be used in sentences, either independently or in combination with function words. For example"
Sambas Malay has been significantly influenced by other languages, particularly standardIndonesian. Like manyregional languages in Indonesia, the dominance of standard Indonesian as the national language and its role in education and professional settings have contributed to a gradual replacement of local Sambas Malay vocabulary with Indonesian equivalents. This trend is especially evident among younger generations, who often perceive traditional Sambas Malay terms as outdated or archaic.[50] Due to the strongJavanese influence in the Sambas Sultanate, Sambas Malay has incorporated numerousJavanese loanwords, includingkolé ‘I’ andniké ‘you’.[51] There is also a strong influence fromArabic, particularly in religious terms, as the majority of the people in Sambas practiceIslam.[52]
Below are examples of commonly used Sambas Malay vocabulary along with their Indonesian and English translations:
| Number | Sambas Malay | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | satu, sigék, suték, sékok | satu | one |
| 2 | duak | dua | two |
| 3 | tigé | tiga | three |
| 4 | ampat | empat | four |
| 5 | limak | lima | five |
| 6 | anam | enam | six |
| 7 | tujoh | tujuh | seven |
| 8 | lapan | delapan | eight |
| 9 | sambilan | sembilan | nine |
| 10 | sépuloh | sepuluh | ten |
| 11 | sébalas | sebelas | eleven |
| 20 | duak puloh | dua puluh | twenty |
| 50 | limak puloh | lima puluh | fifty |
| 100 | sératos | seratus | one hundred |
| 500 | limak ratos | lima ratus | five hundred |
| 1000 | séribu | seribu | one thousand |
| 5000 | limak ribu | lima ribu | five thousand |
| 100,000 | sératos ribu | seratus ribu | one hundred thousand |
| 1,000,000 | séjuté, satu juté | sejuta, satu juta | one million |
| Sambas Malay | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|
| itok | ini | this |
| iyé | itu | that |
| sitok | sini | here |
| siyé, sinon | situ, sana | there |
| di sitok | di sini | over here |
| di siyé, di sinon | di situ, di sana | over there |
| kérék | kiri | left |
| kanan | kanan | right |
| atas | atas | up |
| bawah | bawah | down |
| utaré | utara | north |
| sélatan | selatan | south |
| timor | timur | east |
| barat | barat | west |
| Sambas Malay | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|
| aku, sayé, kolé | aku, saya | I, me |
| kitak, kau, niké | kamu, engkau | you (informal) |
| dié, biak iyé | dia | he/she |
| kamék | kami | we (exclusive) |
| kité | kita | we (inclusive) |
| dié, maréké | mereka | they/them |
| Sambas Malay | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|
| siapé | siapa | who |
| apé | apa | what |
| ngapé | kenapa, mengapa | why |
| mané | mana, dimana | where |
| bilé | kapan | when |
| gémané, bagaimané | gimana, bagaimana | how |
| bérapé | berapa | how much |
| bilé, apébilé | bila, apabila, kalau | if |
| Sambas Malay | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|
| aék | air | water |
| batang, pokok | pohon | tree |
| sungai | sungai | river |
| hutan | hutan | forest |
| pantai | pantai | beach |
| laki-laki, jantan | laki-laki, pria | man |
| pérémpuan, batiné | perempuan, wanita | woman |
| tanah | tanah | land, ground, soil |
| jalan | jalan | road |
| kudé | kuda | horse |
| biak, anak | anak | child, kid |
| oto | mobil | car |
| daon | daun | leaf |
| kulék | kulit | skin |
| ékok | ekor | tail |
| talingé | telinga | ear |
| kapalak, palak | kepala | head |
| tigék | leher | neck |
| hati | hati | heart |
| Sambas Malay | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|
| makan | makan | eat |
| minom | minum | drink |
| tidok | tidur | sleep |
| cacak | lari | run |
| basoh, cuci | basuh, cuci | wash |
| kerajé | kerja | to work |
| bédiri | berdiri | to stand |
| gambar | gambar | to draw (a picture) |
| térabang | terbang | to fly |
| lihat | lihat, tengok | see |
| bayar | bayar | pay |
| bémaéng | bermain | to play |
| ambék | ambil | take |
| bali | beli | buy |
| ngéhiné | menghina | to insult |
| Sambas Malay | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|
| tinggi | tinggi | tall |
| randah | rendah | short |
| cantek | cantik | pretty |
| bagos, baék | bagus, baik | good |
| lebar | lebar | wide |
| sadéh | sedih | sad |
| basar | besar, gede | big, large |
| kacék | kecil | small |
| panas, barau | panas | hot |
| sajok | dingin, sejuk | cold |
| tarang | terang | bright |
| lagam | gelap | dark |
| barat | berat | heavy |
| karéng | kering | dry |
| lamé, usang | lama | long (time), old |
| baru | baru | new |
| lapar | lapar | hungry |
| haos | haus | thirsty |
| sakét | sakit | sick |
| beraséh | bersih | clean |
| kotor | kotor | dirty |
| sikét | dikit | little |
| banyak | banyak | many |
Like other Malay dialects, Sambas Malay has traditionally been written in theArabic-based script known as theJawi script, locally known asArab-Melayu 'Arab-Malay'. The Jawi script came into Sambas during thespread of Islam in Indonesia. In the past, many written works, manuscripts, and scriptures produced by Islamic scholars in Sambas were written in the Jawi script.[53] The tradition of using the Jawi script in the Sambas community has developed over a long period. For instance, in 1811, Sultan Abu Bakar Tajuddin sent a letter toStamford Raffles written in Jawi script.[54] Schools established before Indonesia's independence in Sambas also used Jawi script, and it was a mandatory subject for all students.[55] After Indonesiagained independence, however, the use of Jawi script in various media, including schools, gradually declined, being replaced by theLatin script. It is no longer used for official texts or articles in books or other forms, and is now primarily used only in street signs in certain parts of Sambas city.[56]
Currently, theIndonesian government is making efforts to revitalize the use of the Jawi script in Sambas. The script is being taught in junior high schools throughout the region as part of an initiative to preserve its usage.[56] Somemadrasahs in Sambas continue to preserve the use of the Jawi alphabet, particularly in religious sermons andQuranic recitations.[57]
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