malay
adjective · noun
Simple meaning
Of or about the Malays, a people living in Brunei, on the eastern coast of Sumatra, the islands of Bangka and Belitung….
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
maylaySay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈmeɪleɪ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Of or relating to the Malays, a people living in Brunei, on the eastern coast of Sumatra, the islands of Bangka and Belitung, the Riau archipelago and the coastal areas of Kalimantan in Indonesia, in most of Malaysia (states where they are politically dominant), in Singapore and in the southernmost provinces of Thailand.
In, of or otherwise relating to the languages spoken by Malays.
Of or relating to or characteristic of the people or language of Malaysia and the northern Malay Peninsula and parts of the western Malay Archipelago
generally proscribed by Malays and Malaysians
Of or related to Malaysia, its people and/or culture.
noun
A member of a people inhabiting the northern Malay Peninsula and Malaysia and parts of the western Malay Archipelago
countable
A person of Malay ancestry, referring to a diverse group of Austronesian peoples inhabiting the Malay archipelago and Malay peninsula in Southeast Asia.
broad sense
The Malay language, an Austronesian language spoken by most Malay people and by others where it is an official language, including under the name Indonesian.
Type of mild curry made with yoghurt and fruit, usually pineapple or lychee.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Relating / otherwise
Other combinations
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Physical discomfort (as mild sickness or depression).
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A group of islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans between Asia and Australia.
A peninsula in southeastern Asia occupied by parts of Malaysia and Thailand and Myanmar.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A constitutional monarchy in southeastern Asia on Borneo and the Malay Peninsula.
The region of Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula.
The region of Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula.
The region of Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula.
The Malay language spoken in Malaysia.
A constitutional monarchy in southeastern Asia on Borneo and the Malay Peninsula.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
- penangnoun
- straitsnoun
- archipelagonoun
- malaysiannoun
- indonesiannoun
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
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