We all know that English is a universal language. But despite this fact, we cannot deny the importance of official languages. Each country has its official language. They give importance to the official language because all the administration and operational tasks are done through these languages. For instance, the official language of Arab countries is Arabic.
The important thing to note here is that there are different dialects of the Arab language spoken in each country. Arabic spoken in Saudi Arabia is different from Arabic spoken in Syria and Iraq. Here the question is how to understand the different dialects if you are not a native speaker.
The rational solution is to hire a professional translation company. They know the different dialects spoken in Arabic countries and provide you with impeccable Arabic translation services. Unlike the Arabic language, Malay or Bahasa Melayu languages is the official language of Malaysia. It is also widely spoken in Singapore, Brunei, and Indonesia.
Do you Want to Know about the Malay Language?
Malay is a part of the Austronesian language. It is spread around the world throughout the islands of the Pacific Ocean, Maritime Southeast Asia, and Madagascar. Many people get confused that Malay and Indonesian are the same languages but to your surprise, they are different in many ways.
The Malay language is native to 300 million people. Out of this 77 million people are native speakers. The other forms of this language are Brunei Malay, Malaysian and Indonesian. The different dialects of the Malay language are spoken in East Timor, Christmas and Coco islands, and Thailand. For example, the dialect of the Malay language spoken in Thailand is Bahasa Jawi.
Evolution of the Malay Language
Do you know that the Malay language is influenced by the Sanskrit language of India? The oldest version of this language is Sumatra, which has taken many loanwords from Sanskrit. Its history is dated back to the 7th century.
The Malay language was more developed in the 14th century. This was a time when it was used as a lingua franca of Malacca Sultanate, which is now known as modern-day Malaysia.
Today, the Malay language contains the features of the Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asia. According to the experts, the development of the Malay language is divided into five phases, which are the transitional period, Classical period, late modern and the final modern period.
Malay and Indonesian Language
At present, the Malay language is divided into two categories. Standard Malay and Indonesian languages. These both languages are mutually intelligible, but there is a great difference between their grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Moreover, the languages from which they have taken loanwords. If you are not a native Malay speaker then you will have great difficulty in communicating in this language. For this, you can mitigate the communication barriers by hiring Malay translation services.
The General Viewpoint of these Languages
As a foreigner, you might find Indonesian and standard Malay as similar languages. On the other hand, if you are a native speaker then you can easily identify the difference between accent and dictation.
Another important fact about the Malay language is that it is the official language in Malaysia, whereas it is a regional dialect in West Kalimantan.
There is a great difference between the two languages. You can witness this by subtitles of Malay and Indonesian languages that are displayed on the TV. You will be amazed to know that both these languages experienced changes because of political intricacies despite regional nuances. The difference of continents also played a vital role in the development of these two distinct languages.
What is the Difference Between Malay and Indonesian Languages?
The Malay language was written in altered Arabic letters called Jawi before the 20th century. During that time Jawi was taken over by Roman letters called Rumi. The difference between these two languages is because Malaysia was ruled by Britishers, whereas Indonesia was ruled by the Dutch. Let’s dive into the difference between these two languages.
The Difference in Writing and Spelling
The British and Dutch rule in the regions has made a great impact on the languages. For instance, in British rule, the consonant c was considered ch in the Malay language. On the other hand, under Dutch rule, it is considered as tj in the Indonesian language.
To mitigate the differences between both languages, the unified spelling system was introduced in 1972. At present lexicon of both languages are identical; however, the difference in spellings is because of historic reasons.
Difference of Punctuation
The use of punctuation in both languages also varies. In the Malay language, due to British influence, decimals are used, whereas Indonesian use commas because of Dutch influence.
Difference of Pronunciation
The pronunciation of both languages is also different. In the Malay language, the words are pronounced at a slow pace. The pronunciation differs significantly between the two languages. In Standard Malay, the words are pronounced at a slower pace, whereas in the Indonesian language, words are pronounced phonetically.
If you are not a native Malay speaker and want Malay translation services then opt for a professional translation company. They possess a team of native translators who are born and brought up in the same region. Therefore, they provide you with seamless Malay translation services by keeping in view political and historical nuances.
English Proficiency in Malaysia and Indonesia
According to the survey done by international education company, Education First, Malaysia and Vietnam rank higher in English proficiency than Indonesia. Another survey revealed that Indonesia is falling behind in English proficiency as compared to its neighbouring countries and ranked at 32nd number on the list. Whatever your official language is, English proficiency is necessary to communicate on a global level. Worry not. You can take the assistance of English Translation services for global communication.
Wrapping Up
Each language is spoken in the world like Malay, Arabic, Indonesia has different dialects. Don’t get confused in these dialects. Hire a professional translation company that provides you with seamless translation services to mitigate communication barriers.`