Old Malay language

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July 1, 2026

Quick Summary

Old Malay refers to the earliest attested form of the Malay language, with the oldest written records dating back to the late 7th century in Sumatra. This ancient form of Malay is closely related to other languages spoken in Sumatra and Borneo and is part of the Austronesian language family.12

Key characteristics of Old Malay include:
* Grammar: It utilized affixes and word doubling to change meaning or grammatical function, similar to modern Malay.1
* Writing System: Early inscriptions used South Indian scripts, and later, the Arabic script (Jawi) was adopted after the introduction of Islam.2
* Influence: Old Malay was written in areas where it wasn't the native tongue, such as Java, and was influenced by Sanskrit. It also served as a precursor to modern Malay and Bahasa Indonesia.321

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Austronesian languages
Major languages
…in a language generally called Old Malay. After the introduction of Islam at the end of the 13th century, Malay-speaking sultanates were established not only in the Malay-speaking region of the Malay Peninsula but also in Brunei on the coast of northwestern Borneo. In other areas, such as Aceh of…
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…in a language generally called Old Malay. After the introduction of Islam at the end of the 13th century, Malay-speaking sultanates were established not only in the Malay-speaking region of the Malay Peninsula but also in Brunei on the coast of northwestern Borneo. In other areas, such as Aceh of…
Read More