Melayu
/məˈlaɪ.juː/noun
A term referring to the Malay people, their language, or the broader Malay cultural world of Southeast Asia.
Did you know?The earliest known written evidence appears in a 7th-century Chinese record transcribing the name of the Srivijayan polity as Mo-lo-yu, often identified with Melayu.
Etymological Timeline
7th Century
Chinese transcription
Mo-lo-yu
“A Chinese rendering of the name of a polity or region in Sumatra, recorded in connection with Srivijaya.”
7th Century
Old Malay
Malayu
“The name of a polity or regional identity, attested in Old Malay inscriptions and foreign records.”
14th Century
Javanese
Malayu
“A name for the Malay region and its people in texts associated with the Majapahit world.”
16th Century
Malay
Melayu
“A self-designation for Malay people, language, and cultural identity.”
Modern English
English
Melayu
“A scholarly, regional, or endonymic form referring to Malay identity, language, or culture.”