Date of Award

1-1-2001

Thesis Type

Masters

Document Type

Thesis

Divisions

Academy of Malay Studies

Department

-

Institution

Universiti Malaya

Abstract

This research is a comparative study of the Malay language in Malaysia and Thailand from the view point of sociolinguistics, especially focusing on the influence of the major language in each country. This study has three main purposes; i) to compare those factors which influence the development direction of the Malay language in each country; ii) to describe and analyze differences found between the Malay language in those two countries, and iii) to forecast future developmental direction of the Malay language. Chapter 1 outlines the background, purpose, field of study, theoretical frame and me1hod of research. Chapter 2 focuses on the differences in the concept of the word 'Malay" or 'Melayu' in Malaysia and Thailand. In Malaysia, from time to time. we find the 'Malay' concept extended to mean the core of national identity; in Thailand 'Malay' has a special specific notion, and has been connected with Islam. In other words. in Malaysia 'Malay' has become the core of national identity. while in Thailand this learn is regarded as the core of specific ethnicity of those who believe in Islam. This factor is discussed because 'linguistic identity' is an important topic in sociolinguistics. Chapter 2 is a short illustration of the sociolinguistic situation in Thailand. This chapter can be regarded as the background of the discussion in Chapter 5. This short explanation is provided because materials about 1hc sociolinguistic situation in Thailand which can be obtained in Malaysia is very limited, not only those written in Malay but also in English. Chapter 3 compares the language policy or Malaysian and the Thai government which influences the development of the Malay languages in each country In Malaysia after independence. Malay was given the status as the sole national language, and ten years after independence became the sole official language. Since independence, Malay has been developed not only as the national (and official) language, but also as the language of instruction at tertiary education. In Thailand, conversely, Malay had not been promoted by its government at all, but had been regarded as an obstacle of national integrity. The only language policy carried out by the Thai government is the promotion of the Thai Language, and Malay has been discriminated from the main realms, especially in the official and educational domains. Chapter 4, as a historical background, discusses the loan words in Malay, which were from many foreign languages such as Sanskrit. Arabic and Western languages especially from English. The loan words discussed in this chapter are those that have already become an important component of the language, not regarded as negative influences from major foreign languages as discussed in Chapter 6. Chapter 6 and 7 discuss the influence of the major languages toward the Malay language in Malaysia and Thailand. The Malay language in these two countries are used in the multilingual society, and as a consequence, especially in the colloquial usage. is deeply influenced by the respective major languages, English in Malaysia and Thai in Thailand. which plays an important role in each country. The final chapter, Chapter 8, firstly compares the influence of the major languages discussed in the proceeding two chapters, then illustrates the challenges toward the Malay language in the future, and forecasts the developmental direction of Malay in each country.

Initial

snms

Additional Information

Dissertation (M.A) -- Academy of Malay Studies, Universiti Malaya, 2001.

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