Orang Asli
/ˌɔːræŋ ˈɑːsli/noun
A collective term for the Indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia.
Did you know?The term combines Malay orang, “person,” with asli, borrowed from Arabic aṣlī, “original” or “authentic,” from aṣl, meaning “root” or “origin.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Malayo-Polynesian
Proto-Malayo-Polynesian
*qaRiwang
“A reconstructed ancestral form associated with the Malay word for person or human being.”
Old Malay
Malay
urang
“Person or human being; an older form related to modern Malay orang.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
aṣl
“Root, origin, foundation, or source.”
Medieval Malay
Malay
asli
“Original, genuine, or indigenous, borrowed from Arabic aṣlī.”
20th Century
Malay
Orang Asli
“Literally “original person”; a collective designation for Peninsular Malaysia’s Indigenous peoples.”
Modern English
English
Orang Asli
“An established English loan phrase referring to the Indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia.”
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