Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society

Chinese Loan-Words in Malay

Author(s): A. W. Hamilton
Source: Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. 2, No. 1 (90) (June
1924), pp. 48-56
Published by: Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41559569
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 Chinese Loan-Words in Malay.

By A. W. Hamilton.
Since the earliestChinesesettlersin the Peninsula came from
the Hokkien provinceand alone of all Chinese immigrantshave
attachedthemselvesto the soil and comein daily and friendlycon-
tact with Malays it is not surprisingthat almost all the Chinese
wordsincorporated in the Malay languagehave beenborrowedfrom
Hokkien,thevernacularof the Amoydistrict.
There are less than 200 of theseloan wordsand mostof them
referto articlesof foodand householdutensilsor gamesof chance,,
with no equivalentin Malay. Wherea Malay word existswith a
similarmeaningsometimesa Chinese word has been borrowedto
conveya shade"of meaning applicableonlyto Chineseaffairs. For
instancehõè a society" could be expressedby pakatan,or коrig-
koan a " club" .bypersakutuanbut theiChinesetermsare used for
Chinesesocietiesand clubs. Some wordshave been absorbedeither
tliroughthe Malay's ignoranceof the resourcesof his own language
or becauseit is easierto use a commonforeignwordwhichpeople
understandratherthan a pure but rare Malay word which the
listenermightnot know.
For examplebali " a cabin" could be renderedas kurongbut
both these words in colloquial Malay have been replaced by the
'
English word keben.' Similar!}' kuntau couildbe renderedЬer-
titij и and teyen as bèrantametc.
Words markedwith an asteriskdo not occur in Wilkinson's
Dictionary,whilst those markedwith an § occur in Shellabear's
Dictionary.
Malay Hokkien
aboe a peli uncle: a familiarformof address
*apek to elderly Chinese of the lower
classes.
anglo lo• a brazier: a small portableearth-
hang
en stove.
*angki âng кЫ a persimmon( pisang kaki Mal.)
*angpau âng pau a presentor cumshawgiven on
occasionsof rejoicingsuch as the
new year,etc.
bali bâ lì a cabin on a junk.
bami bah mïn a dish of vermicelli,pork and
prawns.
banggi or ban j% a swastika-likepatternin Chinese
banji lattice work or glazed tiles for
windowsand balustrades.
Journal Malayan Branch [Vol. II,

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 ChineseLoan-Wordsin Malay. 49

běleko beh lê ko a glutinous inspissated syrup

nade fromnew sugar,etc.
bepa or *Ы pliang a sweetmeat,of small rectan-
bepang guiar slabs of parched rice (Ъ.
pulut), or peanuts ( b. kachang),
or sesamum(Ъ.bijan), and sugar.
^becha §òe clihia a riksha; (the Chinese words
denote a horse carriage not a
rikshawhichis lang clihiaor man
carriage).
botan *bó• tan the rose peony.
bo or bö a handmill, a quern.
*batu bo
^bimpo §ftmpò* a handkerchief,or small face
towel.
"*bi or Ы an ornamentalfringeof drapery
*kain Ы roundthe top of a bed.
chemer or mê*
%chlien blind: you blind idiot! (said in
*cheme jest or scolding).
^chěmpiang §cheng piàng gang-robbers.
chat chhat paint.
chang or tsàng a confectionof rice put up in
kueh chang bamboo leaves.
chang tsan a square net on a bambooframe
which is lifted out of the water
(Malay tangkul).
chongpoh or • a cook.
tsóngphò
chompoh
chingge isng gè a processionof decoratedcars and
floatsbearingchildrendressedas
puppets,etc.,held on occasionsof
thanksgiving.
chěki or §chit ki a popular Chinese card game
main chěki played with small oblong cards
(daun chěki).
(W. imp ji ki whichis incorrect).
chan tsãn a conical basketused by Chinese
duringthe festivalof the seventh
moon.
chun clihùn a Chinese inch: ^ of a Chinese
foot.
chinteng chhin teng a revenue officer:a subordinate
officerof the governmentMono-
polies and Customs Department.
chinchau chhin chliáu a coolingjelly made froma plant.
1924] Royal Asiatic Society.

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50 Mr. A. W. Hamilton on

*chia» %chhiànto entertain-:to give a Chinese

dinner.
chinchu tsun tsú the supercargoof a Chinese-ship:
the owners representativeon
boardship whois bothpurserand
supercargo.
chiù or chu chiù spirituousliquor.
*chimchen §chhimcìtén an air well or open area in the
centreof a house.
chukin *г////ш kin a bathing cloth worn round the
loins.
chi cliî" a Chinesemeasureof weightused
especiallyin weighingopium: a
mace or TVofa tael.
che11chen %chhênclihën Chinesecymbals.
*chai poh %chhàipó- dried and salted turnips.
*chapjiki isap jl ki a lotteryof twelvelettersor signs
also a game of chance played on
a board with 12 squares corres-
pondingto the letters(the latter
game is often termed chapjïki
panjang).
guwa or *goa два I : the firstpersonsingularsome-
timesused in speakingto Chinese.
*gimpai gin pai a silver or gold ornamentlike a
locket suspendedround the neck
by a chain.
*ginchu gin elm rougeforthe face,lit., vermilion,
hong *hong the paper on whichthe stakesfor
a Wall Weh lotterywere entered,
(hong meansto seal up as a pack-
age or ¡letter); kaki honga gam-
blingtoutwhogoes roundcollect-
ing the stakes for a Wall Weh
lottery and enters them on a
staker'sticket; tikám kaki hong
with such a person.
to staflvie
hun han a Chinese weightused in weighing
opium : a candareen or у<з of a
maceor of a tael.
*liun (2) a Chinesemeasureof length
of a Chinese inch.
*him (3) a share,a portion.
*hoe hôë a societyespeciallya secretsociety
Tian Те Hoe (TlháenTê Hôë)
The Triad Society.
JournalMalayan Branch [Vol. II,

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 Chinese Loan-Words in Malay. 51
#hoesiunor
wesiun $hoe siun a Chinesepriest.
Inchi ien chi rouge: colouredpowder for dye-
ing sweets,etc.
jěpun jít pún Japan.
jose jiàu se crepe.,
*jiho §yì hõ a characteror phrase used as a
markor sign: a sign over a door
to representthe firm.
kingkit *kim Tciet a tinyred lime.
kanar *ka nán the Chinese olive eaten salted or
as a sweet preserve.
kangsin *kan sin a treacherousperson,a traitorous
ministerin Chineseplays.
kongsi hong si a partnership,a society,an asso-
ciation, a club; kongsi gëlap a
secretsociety.
^kongkoan Icon
g koán a Chineseclub.
kipsiyau *kip sio a pipkin: a smallearthenpot with
straight handle and spout that
can be put on the fire.
'^kampoh $khàm pò- to cover with a cloth (used as a
commandto rikshapullersto put
up the hood and apronetc.).
hecha herkam poh, a closed up
ricksha (as used by Malay
women).
kun kún a border: an edging: a trimming
kuntau kûn thâu to box: herkuntau, main kuntau
kuchai %kúclihài leeks.
*koach¡ koa chi driedmelonseeds for eating,
koyok *ko• ióh medicinal plaster.
kěchuak ka tsoáh a cockroach.
*kichak §khit chiáh a beggar.
*kapchio khap chhiô a gamblinggame of heads or tails
playedbyspinninga Chinesecash
on a smoothboard.
*kekwa or kek hoa the chrysanthemum.
*bunga kekwa
::kamchai §kiâm chitài salted vegetables especially the
mustardplant soaked in brine.
1924] Royal Asiatic Society.

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52 Mr. A. VV.Hamilton on

*kangka káng Ichaa hamletor large communalshed,

usually on a river occupied by
Chineseengaged in some pioneer
undertakingsuch as a gambier
estate: hing kha denotesa portor
landing place near the limits of
navigationupstream.
lengkeng lêng kéng the dragons eye fruit (Malay,
mata letichiti
g).
langkan lari kan a balustrade: a railing.
*lanchiyau lãn cliiáu the penis: a term of abuse (V„
Ian).
lu lú you: the second person singular
employedin speakingto Chinese,
loteng lâu teng an upper storey: upstairs,
lochuan lióle chhòan a strong silk fabric used by
Malays formakingloose trousers.
*lai or buah lai §lâi a pear.
laichi nãi clii the fruitNeplieliumlitchi.
loki lo• кг a Cantoneseprostitute.
rumaliloki,a brothel.
*langcha(Pen.) läng chhia a riksha.
losun or *sa- lóh sún consumption,to fall into con-
kit losun sumption.
*naik lotang lóli tâng to get intoa rage: to get violently
angrv,to be possessed.
niek méhn the pulse.
*min mln flatstripsof wheatendougheaten
as macarroni.
*misoan %mlnsoàn vermicelli
nyolo *hiun lo• a brazier for burningincense.
*nia nián a collar.
pá puwi *poáh рое a methodof taking the auspices
in Chinese templeswith the aid
of two .kidney-shapedblocks of
bambooroot.
pakau phah káu a Chinese game of cards resem-
bling vingt et un played with
European cards: dann pakau-
European playingcards,
pangkeng pâng keng a bedroom: a cubicle: a sleeping
bench.
pan ju *pán jiû a handkerchief : a napkin,
po pó a Chinese gamblinggame played
withan oblongbrass dice box.
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 Chinese Loan-Words in Malay. 5Я

pohok or %pohhô peppermintušed medicinallymi-

po' ok nyak po'ole.
pechun *pê tsun the dragonboat festival(properly
pê lêng tsîin).
pekak %peli как aniseed.
*pa¡kau pai káu Chinesedominoes.
*pechai §péh chliài white cabbage ( sayor puteh).
*pebin peli bin a gamblinggame played with a
teetotum'having8 facets.
*pokoan pó koa^ the croupier: the manager of a
gamingtable.
*p¡t pit the Chinesebrushpen.
*pa' bu $phah bú a mixtureof boxingand tumbling
main pa' bu to tumble a£ an
acrobat.
11 a thinpancake.
popia11 §póh pía
pongkis §pi(n ki a wickershovelbasketwith han-
dles.
*poya pu hia a woodenscoop used for bailing..
sengse sin sen a Chinesedoctor.
singke sin kheh a coolie freshfromChina, a new
comer,a greenhorn.
som *som a Chinese herbal root used as a
tonic: akar som.
sampan sam pán a sampan: a small boat.
sowah soah over,finished,ended,done with.
sipuwa sfgpoan an abacus.
sehu *sai hit smart: clever:an adept: a skilled
workman: skilled in any parti-
cular art.
*samseng sam seng a professionalrough.
*susek %sùsek a Chinesecard game playedwith
small cards of fourcolours.
*sen §sèn a cognomen.
*s¡an siãn a basketconsistingof severalhori-
zontal trays fitting into each
othex.
mangкok sian an enamel tiffin
basket.
*s¡ki sì hi a Chinesecard game.
*sue soe misfortune : illstarred: anything"
bringingbad luck.
1924] Iloyal Asiatic Society-

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54 Mr. A. W. Hamilton on

tepoh teli pó vide pó : in Chineseteli pó means

to stakeat pó so that main po is
the correcter expressionin Malay.
5:ítitang tê tbáng a padded rattanbasketused as a
tea cosy.
teng teng a Chineselantern: a lamp.
těngsi thngsì a soup spoon.
tangsi thâng si gut.
tanglong teng Hong a Chineselantern.
tapekong or tod,peh hong a Chinesejoss : a Chinesetemple,
to' pekong
or tokong
tek pi *thih a short tridentused in hand to
pi
hand fighting.
tim tím to stew by cookingin a covered
receptacle.
towakang toã khang a personpuffedup with conceit:
superciliousness.
tauchang thâu tsang a queue: a pigtail.
toko tlió' klid* a warehouse:a godown.
tauke thâu ke a towkay: a well to do Chinese:
an employerof labour: the head
of a business.
tauge tau gê bean sproutseaten as a vegetable.
teh tê tea.
tesi tê sì a teaspoon.
tiyap *thiap a dose of medicine: a small bun-
dle of Chinesedrugs(ubat tiyap).
*tekoh %teко• a European teapot.
-^taiko %ïl'ài ko leprosy.
teyen §¿e ien to get up a subscription.
Moako §/oâ ko• a large lighterbuilt on the lines
of a sampan: a toakow .
íCtaijin tâi jîn a Protectorof Chinese: opis tai-
jin the(ChineseProtectorate.
'♦Чаиуи §taü in bean sauce: soz.
• tauhи tau hü bean curd shapedbut not pressed.
î!îtawa %tliàuá an informer: a gambling in-
former.
-Mekong §tãi kong coxswain: steersman.
^toaha or toha§¿oó hà mourning:pakai toaba to be in
mourningdress.
^toan thoan the game of fan tan.
JournalMalayan Branch [Vol. II,

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 Chinese Loan-Words in Malay. 55

*tekoan §/á koàn a Chinesesquat roundteapotwith

small spout.
*tian §Шап the fronthall of a Chinesehouse,
tahang *tháng a tub: a bath tub.
unchui hun chlioe a tobaccopipe.
usai о• seti opium dross.
upau io pau a small satchelor purse,
ui hui earthenware:pottery.

Probably derived from Chinese.

anglong a pavilion: a summcrhouse : ? fromloixj' a covered

' '
portico: <asaloon + the wordang red the colour
of rejoicing/but the combination, is unknownin
Chinese.
chawan a porcelaincup or bowl? fromthe Cantonesechhâ
wun.
locheng a bell fromcheng¿ a bell or gong with a boss9 +
the word lo = ' a gong withouta boss' but the
eoiniibiimtionlo chengis 'unknown.
potiya an overseerof labour; frompò iiu" headman of
a ward in a town.
tengkoh opium dross: ? fromко 'opium dross' + teng ca
•"a combinationunknown in Chinese.
lamj)
' to bilk; is in use in local Chinese in the form
ponteng
pliiin ieng whereplnìtimeans to 'run away and
escape.'
' a tub ' from
tong thoigè
banchi a census,frombin click ' an officialroll of people
belongingto a place or district.'
' the headman of a
tolo gambier plantation from
liún ló.
chengki a runof luck: to exposelotteryticketsat a karamat
to findout theluckynumber;fromsëng H to take
advantageof an opportunity.
chuki a game like draughts,fromchliiiV1 kî.
chunza a small boatat Batavia; fromtsiïn4 small boat.''
daching a steelyard?fromthe Cantbneseidi clihèngor big
steel-yard.
pèrni a Chimasebowlforgold fish ? = pitun a bowl,
1924] Royal Asiatic Society.

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56 Mr. A. W. Hamilton on

a wide mouthedtub ? fromthe Cantoneseicor'g 'a

kang
widemouthed earthenwarejar/
anchong a glazed earthenwarepot ? fromCantoneseham
6
chiong a coveredearthenwarepot/
6to row 9 ? fromthe Chinese chiún'an
chiyau 9 standing
oar but to row standing5 is kò chiùn not chiù*
'
alone.
dohut or a peach ? from thô a ¡peachyit may ibeirpm a
buah dohut mistakenuse of thô bût ' a peach stone/
kok 'a '
yoke ? frompi11Ы.
kueh cakes; l'óe ' softcakespastries.'
giat to tease frjm giet 'to joke or jibe at a man/
kencheng a Chinesedrillworkedwitha bow,fromIcengtsng.

Possibly derived from Chinese.

bichu a screwjack.
tajin starch.
main top a Chinesegame.
main tuwi do.
tike a small pellet of opium preparedfora pipe.
chowek a soup plate or bowl of Chinesemake.
ka a Chinesegame of cards.
kělenteng a Chinesetemple.
kinchir a waterwheel.
tongkang a tongkang.
jong a junk.
lakyu a chopperof Chinesemake.
koyam brothof flourmeal.
kuwi a brazier'smould.
koseng cleaned out at gambling.
kuwa a card game.
Inchar a drill bore.
opar plain cookingof meat, etc:

JournalMalayan Branch [Vol. IT,

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