Yang Di-Pertuan
/jaŋ di pərˈtu.an/noun
A Malay honorific meaning the person who serves as the supreme ruler or head of state.
Did you know?In Malaysia’s constitutional title Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the ruler is formally described not simply as a hereditary king but as the supreme head who is appointed by the Conference of Rulers.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Malayo-Polynesian
PMP
*tuhan
“Lord, master, or one possessing authority”
Old Malay
Old Malay
tuhan
“Lord or ruler; the ancestral form behind Malay tuan”
Classical Malay
Malay
tuan
“Master, lord, respected person, or sovereign”
Classical Malay
Malay
yang di-pertuan
“The one who is made or appointed lord; the person placed in supreme authority”
20th Century
Malay
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
“The one who is made supreme lord; the formal title of Malaysia’s elected federal monarch”
Modern English
English
Yang di-Pertuan
“A Malay royal or constitutional title referring to a supreme ruler or head of state”