| Tamiang Malay | |
|---|---|
| bahase Temiang بهاس تامينڬ | |
| Pronunciation | [ba.ha.sətəˈmi.aŋ] |
| Native to | Indonesia (Aceh) |
| Region | Aceh Tamiang andLangsa |
| Ethnicity | Tamiang Malays |
Native speakers | (136,270 cited 1981 estimate)[1] |
Austronesian
| |
| Dialects |
|
| Latin (Indonesian alphabet) Jawi | |
| Official status | |
Recognised minority language in | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | None |
 Areas where Tamiang Malay is spoken by the majority of the population Areas where Tamiang 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. | |
Tamiang Malay (bahase Temiang,Jawi: بهاس تامينڬ), is aMalayic language spoken inIndonesia, specifically in theAceh Tamiang and significant minorities inLangsa on southeasternAceh, borderingNorth Sumatra. It is primarily spoken by the nativeMalay people of Tamiang. Tamiang Malay is significantly different fromAcehnese, the dominant language in Aceh, and they aremutually unintelligible.[3] Instead, Tamiang Malay shows similarities toLangkat Malay and Deli Malay spoken in neighboringNorth Sumatra.[4][5] Additionally, Tamiang Malay has been influenced by other languages, such asAcehnese andGayonese, forming a distinct Malay dialect unique to the region.[6] Tamiang Malay plays a significant role in the daily lives of the Tamiang community. For example, traditional ceremonies, community activities, and other social interactions are conducted in Tamiang Malay. Additionally, for the Tamiang people, Tamiang Malay is considered as a symbol of pride and a distinct regional identity.[5] Most Tamiang people are proficient in Acehnese andIndonesian, in addition to their mother tongue.[7]
The Malays have inhabited Tamiang since the7th century. Tamiang was once ruled by various pre-Islamic Malay kingdoms and empires, including theSriwijaya and the Tamiang Kingdom. The increasing influence of theSamudera Pasai Sultanate led to theIslamization of Tamiang in the14th century.[7] This has resulted in the assimilation of Tamiang culture with other cultures, such as the Acehnese. The continuous arrival of immigrants from other parts of Indonesia has threatened the existence of Tamiang Malay, as its usage has gradually diminished. Many of the current generation of Tamiang Malays is not proficient in Tamiang Malay; instead, they are more comfortable speaking Indonesian.[7]
Tamiang Malay is aMalayic language or alsoMalay dialect. 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 thePacific Ocean, with a smaller number in continentalAsia.Malagasy, a geographic outlier spoken inMadagascar in theIndian 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]
Tamiang Malay shows similarity with other Malay dialects spoken in the eastern coast ofSumatra, such as Deli Malay and Langkat Malay.[4] According to Sahril (2007:156), Tamiang Malay is grouped with several other varieties of Malay on the east coast of Sumatra, namely Langkat, Deli,Serdang, Batubara, Asahan, Kualuh, Panai, and Bilah.[9] Several opinions suggest that the Tamiang Malay community originated from the immigration of Malays from Langkat,Penang, andLangkawi. However, some argue that the Tamiang Malay language originated from immigrants from theRiau Islands, specificallyBintan andLingga, who were fleeing attacks by theSriwijaya Kingdom.[10][11] This community settled in Tamiang and developed the language. The language is notmutually intelligible withAcehnese, the dominant and co-official language inAceh. However, there may be influences on Tamiang Malay from Acehnese, as Tamiang was historically ruled by theAceh Sultanate for centuries, and the status of Acehnese as thelingua franca of the province.
Tamiang Malay is primarily spoken by theTamiang Malays. It is the dominant language throughout theAceh Tamiang Regency on southeasternAceh, except in the Manyak Payet and Kuala Simpang Districts, whereAcehnese is predominantly spoken. Aside from Malays, there are also other ethnic groups inhabiting Aceh Tamiang, such asAcehnese,Gayo, andMinangkabau, who speak their own mother tongue. In addition, many migrants from other parts ofIndonesia, such as theJavanese, have moved to Aceh Tamiang since theDutch colonial era and continuing through theNew Order era. In some parts of Aceh Tamiang, the Javanese form the majority of the population.[12] Tamiang Malay also has a significant minority of speakers inLangsa, north of Aceh Tamiang, which is proven by theDutch East Indies government's general report on education in Aceh in 1933 and 1934, with 38 schools in Langsa using Malay as the main language of instruction, the largest number of any region in Aceh.[13]
Tamiang Malay is widely used as a language of communication among ethnic Malays in Aceh Tamiang. It is commonly spoken in informal and semi-formal contexts, such as in markets and at cultural events. In official settings, such as government institutions and higher educational institutions,Indonesian is used instead. Most Tamiang Malays are trilingual, able to speakAcehnese and Indonesian in addition to their native tongue. Acehnese serves as the dominant language withinAceh and is commonly used to communicate with people from other regions within the province. Indonesian, being the national language ofIndonesia, is used for communication with people outside of Aceh. Tamiang Malay is also included in the elementary school curriculum in Aceh Tamiang Regency as part of the regional languages program.[14]
Generally, Tamiang Malay has two dialects, thehulu 'inland' dialect and thehilir 'coastal' dialect. The inland dialect of Tamiang Malay shares similarities withKelantan andKedah Malay spoken in theMalay Peninsula, while the coastal dialect is shares similarities to other Malay dialects spoken on the eastern coast ofSumatra.[15] The primary distinctions between these two dialects are found in their phonology and lexicon. For example, words that typically end with [a] in standard Malay and Indonesian change to [o] in the inland dialect, similar toMinangkabau and Malay dialects spoken in the eastern coast of theMalay Peninsula. In the coastal dialect, these words end with [e], similar to other Malay dialects elsewhere. Some scholars also identify a third dialect, thetengah 'central' dialect, which is spoken in the urban central part of Tamiang.[7][16] The inland dialect, specifically the one spoken inKarang Baru, the capital ofAceh Tamiang, is regarded as the prestige dialect of Tamiang Malay.[4] Despite the differences between these dialects, they are generallymutually intelligible.[7] Each of these dialects has its own sub-dialects, which may differ slightly from one village to another.[15] Below are a few examples of lexical differences between the coastal and inland dialects:
| Standard Indonesian | Coastal dialect | Inland dialect |
|---|---|---|
| deras 'heavy (rain or flow)' | deġas | deġeh |
| dengar 'to listen' | dengaq | dengoq |
| siapa 'who' | hape | hapo |
Tamiang Malay, like many otherregional languages in Indonesia, lacks a standardized phonological system. However, many phonological representations for Tamiang Malay are loosely modeled after standardIndonesian orthography. Notably, Tamiang Malay has retained most of the consonant and vowel phonemes fromProto-Malay, preserving much of its historical linguistic structure.[5] The phonological system presented below is based on the Karang Baru dialect, considered the prestige dialect of Tamiang Malay.
Like Indonesian and Standard Malay, Tamiang Malay has six phonemic vowels: /i, ə, e, a, o, u/. However, it also includes an additional vowel, /ɒ/.[17]
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | u | |
| Mid | e | ə | o |
| Open | a | ɒ |
Notes:
In writing, the following phonemes are represented as thus:
Tamiang Malay has 19consonants. The phoneme /χ̞/ is not found in Indonesian, while the consonant phonemes /f/, /z/, /x/, /ʃ/, and /?/ that are present in Indonesian are absent in Tamiang Malay.[17]
| Labial | Alveolar | Postalveolar | Dorsal | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | ||
| Plosive/ | voiceless | p | t | t͡ʃ | k | |
| voiced | b | d | d͡ʒ | ɡ | ||
| Fricative | s | h | ||||
| Approximant | l | |||||
| Trill | r | χ̞ | ||||
| Semivowel | w | j | ||||
Notes:
In writing, the following phonemes are represented as thus:
In Tamiang Malay, there are only twodiphthong vowels: /uy/ and /oy/.[18] These diphthongs can be found in the following words:
Phonological changes in Tamiang Malay are not phonemic, meaning that variations in word stress, tone, and sound length do not create differences in meaning. However, sentence stress (intonation), even in single-word sentences, can differentiate meaning. In other words, sentence stress (intonation) can affect the meaning of a sentence.[19]
Along withIndonesian,standard Malay, and otherMalayic languages, the word order in Tamiang Malay is typicallysubject-verb-object (SVO). While there are notable exceptions, the grammar structure of Tamiang Malay shares many similarities with Indonesian and Standard Malay.
Tamiang Malay features a variety ofaffixes that combine with base words to create affixed terms. Similar to other Malayic languages, Tamiang Malay employs four types of affixes:prefixes,infixes andsuffixes.[20] Prefixes are added at the start of a word, suffixes at the end, and infixes within the middle. A circumfix, or discontinuous affix, attaches partially to both the beginning and end of the base word. In Tamiang Malay, as in other Malayic languages, words typically consist of a root or a root combined with derivational affixes. The root, usually bisyllabic with a CV(C)CV(C) pattern, functions as the primary lexical unit and is often a noun or verb. Affixes modify or extend the meaning of roots, resulting in new words.
Example of prefixes commonly found in Tamiang Malay areN-,be-, peN-,ke-,se-,di-, andte-.[21]
The prefixN- functions to form verbs from nouns, adjectives, or numeral basic words.[21] The prefixN- changes ton- when the first phoneme of the base word starts with the consonantt, changes tony- when the first consonant of the base word starts withs, c, andj, changes tong- when the first phoneme of the base word starts with the consonantsg, k, andh, as well as all vowel phonemes (a, i, u, o, e), and changes tom- when the first phoneme of the base word starts with a bilabial consonant (p, b). If the base word consists of a verb, then the prefixN- means performing the action intended by the verb. For example:
If the base word consists of a noun, then the prefixN- has several meanings, such as indicating direction, hitting, making, applying, resembling, giving, showing, performing a job, eating, or smoking. For example:
If the base word consists of an adjective, then the prefixN- means 'to become' or 'to make'. For example:
If the base word consists of a numeral, then the prefixN- means 'to become' or 'to commemorate'. For example:
In general, the function of the prefixbe- is to form verbs. The prefixbe- can precede nouns, verbs, adjectives, or numerals. The formbe- changes tobeR- when followed by a base word that begins with a vowel phoneme, and it does not change when followed by a consonant phoneme.[22] The prefixbe- when the base word is a noun carries several meanings, such as having, wearing/riding, producing/giving birth, working on, working, or searching. For example:
The prefixbe- when preceding a verb means being in the state of performing an action. For example:
The prefixbe- when preceding a numeral means 'to become/composed of'. For example:
The prefixpeN- functions to form nouns from other word types, such as verbs and adjectives.[23] The prefixpeN- changes topem- when the first phoneme of the base word starts with the bilabial consonantsb orp, changes topen- when the first phoneme of the base word starts witht, d, orj, changes topeng- when the first phoneme of the base word starts with the consonantsk, g, h or a vowel, and changes topeny- when the first letter of the base word starts with the bilabial consonantsb orp.[24] The prefixpeN- when preceding a verb has several meanings, such as indicating a tool used to perform an action or referring to an object, indicating a person who performs the action described by the base word, and referring to a person known for the profession described by the base word. For example:
The prefixpeN- when preceding an adjective indicates a person who possesses the characteristic described by the base word. For example:
The prefixte- in Tamiang Malay functions to form passive verbs.[25] The prefixte- can precede base words that are verbs or adjectives. This prefix changes toteR- when the base word begins with a vowel phoneme and does not change if followed by a base word that begins with a consonant phoneme. The prefixte- when preceding a verb can imply an action that is accidental, an action that has been completed, or an ability/capability. For example:
The prefixte- when preceding an adjective indicates a superlative meaning or the sense of "most." For example:
The prefixdi- functions to form passive verbs.[26] In its use, this prefix can be attached to both verbal and nominal base words. Adding this prefix to a word does not cause any changes to the base word. The prefixdi- when preceding a verb implies a passive meaning, with the focus being on the subject receiving the action. For example:
The prefixdi- when preceding a noun implies meanings such as "given," "made into," or "removed." For example:
The prefixke- can be combined with base words that are adjectives or numerals.[27] The presence of this prefix in a word does not cause any changes to the form of the base word. The prefixke- when preceding an adjective or a state indicates the meaning of "that which is...".[28] For example:
The prefixke- when preceding a numeral can carry several meanings, such as indicating a group or sequence. For example:
The prefixse- means "one." The prefixse- attached to certain base words does not alter the form of the base word. This prefix can be combined with base words that are verbs, nouns, adjectives, or numerals.[28] Combining the prefixse- with these types of words does not change their word class. The prefixse- when preceding a noun implies the meaning of "one" or "whole." For example:
There are only few suffixes in Tamiang Malay. Examples of suffixes in Tamiang Malay include-i,-ke, and the personal pronoun endings-ku,-mu, and-nye.[29] These suffixes are directly attached to the end of the base word. Attaching these suffixes to a base word does not result in any changes to the form of the base word.
The suffix-i can be added to base words that are verbs, nouns, or adjectives. The function of this suffix is to form active transitive verbs from other word types.[29] The suffix-i when attached to the end of a verb conveys the meaning of an action performed repeatedly or indicates 'to', 'at', or 'towards' something. For example:
The suffix-i when attached to a noun conveys the meaning of giving or removing. For example:
The suffix-i attached to the end of adjectives carries the meaning of causing/becoming. For example:
Just like the suffix-i, the suffix-ke also functions to form transitive verbs. The difference between the two is that the suffix-ke indicates that the object moves or shifts, while the suffix-i indicates that the object remains or does not move.[30] In its usage, the suffix-ke is added at the end of the base word of verbs and adjectives. The meaning contained in the suffix-ke is to express something imperative (commands). For example:
The suffix-ku is included among the first-person possessive suffixes. Adding the suffix-ku to the end of a word does not result in a change of word class. Its function is to indicate possession by the first-person singular.[31] For example:
The suffix-mu is also a pronominal suffix that indicates possession for the second person singular.[31] For example:
Just like the suffix-mu, the suffix-nye is also a pronominal suffix, specifically the third person singular suffix, which functions to indicate possession or ownership by a third person.[31] For example:
In Tamiang Malay, there are only a few infixes, such as-eR-,-el-, and-em-.[32]
The infix-eR- can be inserted into base nouns and verbs. Inserting the infix-eR- into these types of words does not change the word class. The meaning that arises from this insertion is to indicate "many," and sometimes it implies "in a state of."[32] The infix-eR- inserted into a noun conveys the meaning of "many." For example:
The infix-eR- inserted into a verb conveys the meanings of "in a condition" and "many." For example:
Just like the infix-eR-, the infix-el- is considered an unproductive affix that does not form new words. The function supported by the infix-el- is to form new words without changing the word class of the base word. The infix-el- is inserted into base verbs, conveying the meaning that the action described by the base word is performed repeatedly.[33] For example:
The form and function of this infix are similar to the previous two infixes. The infix-em- is inserted into base nouns, verbs, and adjectives. The presence of the infix-em- in these types of words conveys various meanings. When-em- is inserted into a noun, it carries the meaning of "many" or "various."[33] For example:
The infix inserted into a verb conveys the meaning of repetition, as seen in the following examples:
The infix-em- inserted into an adjective indicates intensity, as in the following examples:
In Tamiang Malay, there are five types of wordreduplication: full reduplication, sound-alternating reduplication, reduplication with affixes, partial reduplication, and triple reduplication.[34] Full reduplication can be further divided into two categories: full reduplication with affixes and full reduplication without affixes.[34] Examples of full reduplication without affixes include:
Examples of full reduplication with affixes include:
There are two types of sound-alternating reduplication forms in Tamiang Malay: sound-alternating reduplication with vowel phoneme changes and sound-alternating reduplication with consonant phoneme changes.[35] Examples of sound-alternating reduplication with vowel phoneme changes include:
Examples of sound-alternating reduplication with consonant phoneme changes include:
There are two types of affixed reduplication in the reduplication system of Tamiang Malay: reduplication with initial affixes (prefixes) and reduplication with combined affixes (prefixes and suffixes).[35] Examples of reduplication with initial affixes include:
Examples of reduplication with combined affixes include:
Partial reduplication in Tamiang Malay is relatively rare.[36] Examples of partial reduplication include:
Lastly, triple reduplication in Tamiang Malay, also known astrilingga, refers to a pattern where a word or morpheme is repeated three times. It typically involves the vowels /a/ and /u/ and is generally used for sound effects.[36] Examples include:
Nouns are words that refer to objects and anything that is objectified. Nouns can essentially be divided into two types: concrete nouns and abstract nouns.[37] Examples of concrete nouns are:
Examples of abstract nouns are:
Nouns can also be categorized into root nouns, affixed nouns, compound nouns, and reduplicated nouns.[38] Examples of root nouns include:
Examples of affixed nouns include:
Examples of compound nouns include:
Examples of reduplicated nouns include:
Verbs are words that express actions, deeds, movements, or activities. In Tamiang Malay, verbs generally function as predicates.[39] There are several types of verbs in Tamiang Malay, including transitive verbs, intransitive verbs, passive verbs, active verbs, reciprocal verbs (which express mutual actions), reflexive verbs (where the subject is both the doer and the receiver of the action), and stative verbs. Examples of transitive verbs are:
Examples of intransitive verbs are:
Passive verbs can be distinguished by the presence or absence of a prefix.[39] Examples without a prefix includes:
Examples with a prefix includes:
Active verbs can also be distinguished by the presence or absence of a prefix.[40] Examples without a prefix includes:
Examples with a prefix includes:
Examples of reciprocal verbs are:
Examples of reflexive verbs are:
Examples of stative verbs are:
Adjectives are words that describe or explain nouns or things that are objectified.[41] Adjectives can be categorized into root adjectives, affixed adjectives, reduplicated adjectives, and compound adjectives. Examples of root adjectives are:
Examples of affixed adjectives are:
Examples of reduplicated adjectives are:
Examples of compound adjectives are:
Pronouns in Tamiang Malay can be divided intopersonal pronouns,possessive pronouns,demonstrative pronouns,interrogative pronouns,indefinite pronouns, andrelative pronouns.[42]
This table shows an overview over the most commonly and widely used personal pronouns in Tamiang Malay.[42]
| Person | Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Exclusive | Inclusive | ||
| 1st person | ambo, ambe, awak, aku | kami | kite, kito | |
| 2nd person | engko, ngko, ko, kau | |||
| 3rd person | dio, die | urang ye, urang yan, mereke | ||
Personal pronouns can also be attached to nouns.[43] For example:
Possessive pronouns
Possessive pronouns are in the form of personal pronouns and personal pronoun suffixes attached to the end of a noun to indicate ownership.[43] For example:
When there is more than one possessive pronoun, they are expressed consecutively.[43] For example:
In Tamiang Malay, similar toIndonesian and other Malay dialects, there are two types of demonstrative pronouns:ne meaning "this" to indicate something close to the speaker, andye meaning "that" to indicate things or something distant from the speaker.[43]
Examples of interrogative pronouns in Tamiang Malay are:
There are two types of indefinite pronouns: (1) indefinite pronouns for objects and (2) indefinite pronouns for people. This classification aligns with the indefinite pronouns in Indonesian and other Malay dialects.[44] Examples of indefinite pronouns for object are:
. Examples of indefinite pronouns for people are:
In Tamiang Malay, there are two relative pronouns:tempat ('place') andyang ('which'). In its usage, these relative pronouns align with the usage of relative pronouns in Indonesian and Malay.[44]
Tamiang Malay's vocabulary has been influenced byAcehnese, the dominant language in Aceh, andIndonesian, the official language of Indonesia. The growing influence of Indonesian has led many people in Tamiang, particularly the younger generation, to frequentlycode-switch between Tamiang Malay and Indonesian.[7] Additionally, it has incorporated loanwords fromArabic, due to thespread of Islam in Aceh, as well asDutch, as a result of theDutch colonization of the region.[15] Below are examples of commonly used Tamiang Malay vocabulary along with their Indonesian andEnglish translations:
| Number | Tamiang Malay | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | hatu, satu | satu | one |
| 2 | duo, due | dua | two |
| 3 | tigo, tige | tiga | three |
| 4 | empek | empat | four |
| 5 | limo, lime | lima | five |
| 6 | nam, enam | enam | six |
| 7 | tujoh | tujuh | seven |
| 8 | lapan, delapan | delapan | eight |
| 9 | sembilan | sembilan | nine |
| 10 | sepuloh | sepuluh | ten |
| 11 | sebelas | sebelas | eleven |
| 20 | duo puloh, due puloh | dua puluh | twenty |
| 50 | limo puloh, lime puloh | lima puluh | fifty |
| 100 | seratus | seratus | one hundred |
| 500 | limo ratus, lime ratus | lima ratus | five hundred |
| 1000 | seribu | seribu | one thousand |
| 5000 | limo ribu, lime ribu | lima ribu | five thousand |
| 100,000 | seratus ribu | seratus ribu | one hundred thousand |
| 1000,000 | hatu jute, hatu juto | satu juta | one million |
| Tamiang Malay | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|
| ne | ini | this |
| ye, yae, yan | itu | that |
| hini | sini | here |
| sane | sana | there |
| dihini | disini | over here |
| disane | disana | over there |
| kat | kepada | to |
| kiri | kiri | left |
| kanan | kanan | right |
| atas | atas | up |
| bawah | bawah | down |
| utara | utara | north |
| selatan | selatan | south |
| timur | timur | east |
| barat | barat | west |
| Tamiang Malay | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|
| ambo, ambe, awak, aku | aku, saya | I |
| engko, ngko, ko, kau | kamu, engkau | you |
| kite, kito | kita | we (inclusive) |
| kami | kami | we (exclusive) |
| urang ye, urang yan, mereke | mereka | they/them |
| dio, die | dia | he/she |
| Tamiang Malay | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|
| ape, apo | apa | what |
| hape, hapo | siapa | who |
| nape | kenapa, mengapa | why |
| mane, mano | mana | where |
| bile, mengkale | kapan | when |
| macem mane | bagaimana | how |
| berape | berapa | how much |
| Tamiang Malay | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|
| laki-laki | laki-laki | men |
| empuan | perempuan | female |
| urang | orang | person |
| mate | mata | eye |
| hidong | hidung | nose |
| telinge | telinga | ear |
| tangan | tangan | hand |
| kaki | kaki | leg |
| kulit | kulit | skin |
| kepale | kepala | head |
| eko, ekor | ekor | tail |
| aye | air | water |
| pase | pasir | sand |
| mateari | matahari | sun |
| bulan | bulan | moon |
| unggas, unggaeh | burung | bird |
| ikan | ikan | fish |
| kerbo | kerbau | buffalo |
| rimo | harimau | tiger |
| telo | telur | egg |
| Tamiang Malay | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|
| minom | minum | to drink |
| makan | makan | to eat |
| kike | gigit | to bite |
| keleh | lihat | to see |
| denga | dengar | to hear |
| tido | tidur | to sleep |
| rase | rasa | to taste |
| mandi | mandi | to shower |
| tahu | tahu | to know |
| menenang | berenang | to swim |
| dudok | duduk | to sit |
| enjok | beri | to give |
| cium | cium | to kiss |
| datang | datang | to come |
| bediri | berdiri | to stand |
| bejalan | berjalan | walking |
| becakap | berbicara | talking |
| Tamiang Malay | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|
| angat | panas | hot |
| sejok | dingin, sejuk | cold |
| penoh | penuh | full |
| baru | baru | new |
| lame | usang, lama, tua | old |
| baek, afdal | baik | good |
| rusak | rusak | broken |
| panjang | panjang | long |
| bulut | basah | wet |
| tinggi | tinggi | tall |
| rendah | rendah | short |
| kosong | kosong | empty |
| sedeh | sedih | sad |
| seneng | senang, gembira | happy |
| marah | marah | angry |
| berani | berani | brave |
| takot | takut | scary |
Like other Malay dialects, Tamiang Malay has traditionally been written in theJawi alphabet, also known asArab-Melayu. The Jawi script entered Tamiang along with the spread of Islam in Aceh, becoming a prominent medium for written communication as Islamic influence grew, particularly with the rise of Islamic kingdoms and sultanates in the region around the13th century. During this period, Jawi was not only used in religious texts but also in official documents, literature, and correspondence, cementing its role as a vehicle for both cultural and administrative expression. However, in modern times, the usage of Jawi script in Tamiang has sharply declined. Today, the Jawi script is rarely used in day-to-day communication and has been largely replaced by theLatin alphabet, though it remains a cultural symbol and is occasionally used in traditional or religious contexts. Somemadrasahs in Tamiang continue to preserve the use of the Jawi alphabet, particularly in religious sermons andQuranic recitations.[45]
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