Translate This: Turquoise, Pink and other strange colours

Translating colours should be easy. Red is merah, blue is biru, green is hijau. Eezy peezy. That is until you're deluged with a plethora of colours that even English native speakers find them hard to remember. The following examples, legally, are colours. But as you can see, they are actually named so as a result of their natural occurrence. 

Turquoise is called turquoise because that's the natural colour of turquoise (pic) - it's chemical composition can be checked here. In Malay, turquoise (the colour) is called biru firus because turquoise (the gemstone) is called batu firus. Thank god such gemstone was already available here in those times. Otherwise and most likely it will be called terkois and can be easily confused or typoed as terkuis.

Vermillion is another chemical substance that gives vermillion (the colour) it's name. It is actually mercuric sulphide. Guess, what's it called in Malay? Merah menyala? No. It's merah merona. To be honest, that was the first time I heard it. I do not know what merona is. It's not explained anywhere in the dictionary. But googling it takes me to a host of Indonesian webpages, so I deduced that we just borrowed it whole from them. It then makes me wonder, could it be that that makes them Nengs prefer vermillion lips? Like this....

Vermillion lips are so sexy!

Pink guava.

Pink is another simple colour that seems easy to translate. Similar to that with English, because it occurs naturally in pink guava (a variant of guava (jambu batu) that has pink flesh), so it's called merah jambu. Wait. Wait. So, red is merah, guava is jambu batu and pink is merah jambu. Wouldn't pink guava end up being called 'jambu batu merah jambu' then? I am so confused. Aren't you too?

Oh! Wait again. Here's a solution by ingenious lexicographers paid by some ingenious company.

It's sooo valid...!

Translate This: Installation

I come to write about this topic just so because I had a new wiring installation done on my little stationery/sundry shop back in my hometown in Teluk Intan. Just for the fun of it, I looked into the dictionary for its Malay translation. And fun it was! There are actually two different but almost similar words that come out as its translation. One is "pemasangan", the other "pepasangan".

If you don't know how to do it, don't do it.

While the former looks a valid Malay word with correct affixes with the letter 'p' from 'pasang', meaning install, was substituted with the letter 'm' as a result of the prefix [pe+....+an] (correct according to the prefixing rule), the latter looks like an incorrect spelling of the former. Or is it really?

No, it's not an invalid or incorrect word. Although both carry the same meaning, the big difference is the former refers to the actual work of the installation (it's a noun that refers to the verb) and the latter refers to the finished work or what has been installed (it's a noun that refers to the noun). To make it clear to you here are two examples that look similar but different:

English 1: The electrical wiring installation for the living room took almost two weeks to complete.
English 2: The electrical wiring installation for the living room constitutes half of the total cost.

Compare the two sentences, and adjust yourself as if you are a Malay speaker, you will find that in example 1, the installation actually refers to the actual work thus the verb part of it, while example 2, refers to the noun part of it which is actually the wires, lights, switches and what have ya that has been installed and in place. So, the most appropriate translation that I may present you is as follows:

Malay 1: Pemasangan pendawaian elektrik untuk ruang tamu mengambil masa hampir-hampir dua minggu untuk disiapkan.
Malay 2: Pepasangan pendawaian elektrik untuk ruang tamu memakan separuh daripada kos keseluruhannya.

Now, can you see the difference? I hope you can. Because if you still can't, let me take you to the times when you were still in school where every year there would normally be two 'peperiksaan' (examinations) were held every year until you sat for the big one, the SPM. Normally, 'pemeriksaan kertas jawapan' (the marking of the papers) will be done over three months after you last sat for it. Clear?

One reminder though, and this is a very serious one, mistakes especially and unintentionally done if you are not really well versed in Malay: although the coronation of a new king or queen is also called the installation of the new king/queen, one should not translate it as 'Pemasangan DYMM Yang Dipertuan Agong', or you will be sent directly to 'pemasungan'. Here is how you would look like getting 'dipasungkan'.

The right word should be 'Pertabalan'.

These days though, those who have a leaning towards sado-masochism even love to be 'dipasungkan'. Add whips and chains. Hmmmm...

Extras: Olympics Translation Special: Track & Fields

It’s the Olympic season again! YAY! Now, what could be more appropriate than translating anything Olympic? There are 26 sports in this year’s Olympic. They are all regulars. Thankfully, some sports that dubiously looking all but sporty are not included. Unlike that particular Nusantara Games, where sports like ‘balancing with a ping pong ball in a spoon held in mouth, on a wire made of rafia” are held, where participants were most likely assembled ad-hoc-like, AND since the rest of the citizens of participating countries were involved in other similar sports, only 60 and 70 year olds were left to compete. Good God! Here’s your chance folks! Get those viagra out for whatever reasons you might it need for and go! Go! Go! Just don’t end up dead.

One of the more popular sports in Olympics has been Track & Field. It used to be simply called “Olahraga” in Malay. But then there was a confusion with its meaning when our Nusantara neighbor (whom we already know how enthusiastic they can be about anything that maybe misinterpreted or misrepresented). There, olahraga simply means sports in general (we call it sukan) or to compete in whatever as long as the purpose is to defeat the others. Here in Malaysia, it’s slightly different. It’s restricted to competing when there’s a competition that involves one’s physical strength or mainly Track & Field. For all I know Olahraga has been used only in Silat Olahraga other than the usual Olahraga. But “over there”, a competition of, for example, “who can create the most bizarre hairstyle” is also called olahraga. It’s absolutely no wonder why that Games has become such. But, I digress yet again.

Track & Field, was later called Balapan & Padang to concur with its English use. As far as I can remember, it first appeared during the early 80s. Then, our Olahraga team was very popular with athletes who became household names like Marina Chin, Zaiton Othman, Rabuan Pit, V Angamah, Saik Oik Cum, Elron Alfred Angian and many more. Here, to refresh you memory.

They were such stars in those days.

The word Balapan was in regular discussions among friends at that time. Some took the effort of finding its history, and proudly announced it to us that it was an acronym that came from “Baris Lapan” or “Lanes of Eight” as in the eight lanes that made the running track of athletic events. And then we went, “Ahhhhhh….,” with our mouth agaped.

Balapan is the Track. Padang is the Field.

And then, I did not know who were unhappy with Balapan that it was later changed to Trek & Padang. This made me sad really, as I have mentioned this many times before, why is the need to adapt a foreign word when the word that we have perfectly describes the matter? Some blamed it on the TV people for being insensitive towards upholding the Language. I do not want to blame it on anyone, but if we could use some words more regularly, we may make that word popular again. But then, the sad state of Malaysian athletics now doesn’t augur well for the word Olahraga. And when the general masses don’t talk much about a certain subject, its related lexicons simply go into obscurity. 

Balapan remains in the dictionary as what I have explained above. And more… it also means any kind of track that is used for competition not restricted to humans running against each other, for example the horse racing track is called Balapan Lumba Kuda, although there are no visible lanes of eight.

AHAH..!!! Let’s tell this to that neighbor of ours to get their chickens, ducks, rhinoceroses, garudas and what not to challenge each other on a Balapan. This seems valid enough. We have seen them do it with buffalos (sorry but not fun enough), but with other living beings?

Oh, this can be really fun especially if it’s included in that Nusantara Games!

Extras: Buzzes About Buses

1. Here is....

..... a school bus. That's right.




2. Here is....

... a chartered bus. That's right.




3. Here is....

... I don't know. But I can guess what it is. Can you?


It is the same as the number 2 above. But why do they use 'catar'? It's not in the dictionary anyway. So I scoured in it, any way possible and then came this page that says 'catar' is actually 'charter' but the right Malay spelling is 'cater'. 'Catar' is not an acceptable Malay word but frequently used as meaning 'cater' (the Malay word) or 'charter' (the English word).


Yes, we frequently use words that are not words anyway. So, no surprise there. No surprise also from Lembaga Pelesenan Kenderaan Perdagangan (LPKP) or Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board for not taking it serious enough to address the matter. As a person who has seven years experience in driving a taxi in the city, I perfectly understand that. In that seven years, they have created and discarded many rules and regulation at their whims and fancies, for example, colour your taxi according to the company that owns it and later, no you don't have to, you can pick up passengers at the airport and later no you can't, and some taxis can have sports rims some can't. No surprise, no surprise.


I don't know why I like to digress...


Back to the buses. I guess if we used 'Bas Cater' instead, people will think that bus is carrying food maybe. If we used 'Bas Carter' instead, people will think that that bus belongs to the former US President. If we used 'Bas Aziz Sattar' instead, people will think that Aziz Sattar owns all of the 'bas persiaran' here in Malaysia. 


There you go, what is so wrong and ugly with 'Bas Persiaran' that you so abhor using it?


I don't know....

Translate This: damage, damages

Damage  is one English word that you should take extra care when translating. Why should I say so? Because you may inadvertently cause damage to someone’s reputation and in retaliation they may claim damages upon your action.

You   : Crap! They are not the same..??

Me    : No they aren’t, unfortunately.

You   : So which one is which then?

This car is damaged. The owner can claim for damages from the insurance company.

Even English native speakers got confused sometimes. Why, because they are spelled the same, carry a vaguely, closely, nearly, similar meaning. Let’s try to translate some text. Hmmm… those first two sentences look alright to me. The following may be the most possible translation (There are no right or wrong translation, only the more appropriate or lesser one that is):

"Damage" ialah satu perkataan Bahasa Inggeris yang anda harus terjemahkan dengan lebih berhati-hati. Mengapa harus saya katakan begitu? Kerana anda mungkin boleh secara tidak sengaja menyebabkan kerosakan terhadap reputasi seseorang dan mereka mungkin akan membalasnya dengan membuat tuntutan ganti rugi ke atas tindakan anda.

I hope you get it, if you don’t let me explain. The former refers to the direct effect of one’s action including defacement or loss of concrete or inconcrete values of another person’s property such as auto-vehicles, houses, reputations or businesses. All can cause the latter to incur. In other words, damages should always be translated in context of law, except when it is used as a simple present tense of a singular verb e.g. Kamariah’s action damages the company’s reputation (Tindakan Kamariah merosakkan reputasi syarikat itu). The company decided to claim damages from Kamariah (Syarikat itu membuat keputusan untuk menuntut ganti rugi daripada Kamariah). Bear in mind that damages in a law article always refer to monetary equivalent to the damage. Informally, damages can also mean money equivalent to something that is not really damaged e.g “So, what are the damages for that rewiring job on the second floor?” (“Jadi, berapa kosnya kerja pendawaian semula di tingkat dua itu?”).

Confused?

Oh, dear….

Before I can cause serious damage to you brain, I better stop now. But then again, if your brain is already damaged, surely no damages can be claimed because your brain is now considered useless and you now only fit to live in a shrink-house. Let’s just hope your relatives don’t find this article on the computer screen the moment that happened.

Quick! Quick!

Translate This: Commensurate

There shouldn't be much of a problem to translate this word. The translation of it can be found in many reliable English-Malay dictionary, most of the time they put the meaning as: setara, sepadan.


But I would like to highlight one habit of many Malaysians that I suspect that their confusion may be due to how the word is spelled. Many English words that end with -ate normally indicate that they are a verb, but not in this case. It is an adjective not a verb, therefore it doesn't take a tense.


Here are some examples of how Malaysians would use 'commensurate' in a sentence:

Here is an example of a correct sentence using the word commensurate:

I just thought that this is a very good subject matter to be highlighted somewhere, and why not here.

Admittedly I had thought it was a verb too.

Grammar Matters: Merbahaya or Berbahaya?

There are more than one mistakes in this picture.
But for now, let's just look at 'merbahaya'.

We are all born with one particular organ in our body that is naturally lazy. But that laziness understandably, may be culminated from tens of thousands of years of effort to create phonetically correct sound to naming things, describing acts, categorizing things/acts and so on. I am talking about our tongue, the only inside-body organ that you can see moving without any visual aid. (As a digression, try looking at it in the mirror and move it about, imagine it as a creature from some scary alien movie stuck in your mouth. Gross?)

What I’m trying to say or what I suspect is ‘merbahaya’ has been the result of our lazy tongue. It may have to do with the dialect of certain group of the population but generally it has spread and become common in all of Malaysia because everybody thought it was the correct one. Unfortunately it was not. ‘Berbahaya’ is the correct word. Unlike for example, in the state of Perak, where they pronounce durian as ‘deghoyan’ (‘gh’ is very Frenchy sounding ‘r’ as in Rue de Savoy) but so far it remains and stays a Perak dialect.

‘Berbahaya’ is a derived adjective (kata sifat terbitan) that comes from the root word ‘bahaya’, a noun that means danger, prefixed with ‘ber’ which in this case means ‘to have’ or ‘to contain’. Further corroborates this explanation is the fact that there has never been the prefix ‘mer’ in Malay. There isn’t really. ‘Ber’ becomes ‘mer’ here simply because it’s easier to pronounce it although the difference is only subtle. To prove it, do this yourself: Repeatedly, utter those two words one after another. You’ll notice ‘merbahaya’ is the easier one. So, it looks like all the hard work of our ancestors to have certain rules in naming things just goes down the gutter because of our laziness. These days it gets worse. Vowels have gradually become useless. This is completely embraced by the new generation, thanks to technology.

Fortunately: Many Bahasa Melayu teachers now realize that and begin to emphasize its importance through the many blogs they now operate. I am one who visits them regularly for updates and references.

Unfortunately: ‘Merbahaya’ is still in Kamus Dewan, although it is actually a lazy version of ‘marabahaya’ and not ‘berbahaya’. Take note and don’t get confused.

In the end, our tongue suffers from our lack of attention to take care and use it the right way. If only man takes care of it the way they take care of another particular prized organ of theirs, and the way they splash portions of their monthly income the moment they realize its function and performance weren’t as explosive as when they were young, things wouldn’t be as complicated.

I am not talking about organs with black and white keyboard.

Translate This: Best-sellers or Best-selling

Please look at this picture, at the words ‘LAKU KERAS’. Please try to do a back translation to figure out what the owner of this store is trying to say. This was seen at a leading chain bookstore (no names will be dropped here, dangerous, you know).

Did you manage it? Did you only manage to come up with ‘hard sell’? I don't blame you and I’m telling you, it’s not funny when the intended meaning is actually ‘Best-sellers’.

I scratched my head the whole night the day that my fellow translator posted this in our FB translators group. How they even came to think and suggested ‘keras’ is baffling me. Didn’t they know what ‘keras’ is? Look into any dictionary, nothing else comes up but ‘hard’. This is blatant, irresponsible and shabby translation job. I was lucky to have strong hair follicles, or otherwise my scalp would be exposed and as shiny as the behind of a new Corning heat-tolerant glass pan by now.

I do not think anybody will agree to what it was supposed to mean in the first place.

Even ‘laku’ in this case is very arguable. ‘Laku’ is the ‘Bahasa Basahan’ (informal) of ‘Laris’. 'Laris' is the more appropriate word, but when back-translated into English it means ‘Hot selling’. So, what is ‘best-selling’ then? You have to ask yourself this: What is ‘best’ in Malay? We already know what ‘laris’ is.

Unlike English, Malay does not have superlative adjective in the form English does as in good, gooder, goodest or bad, badder, baddest. (It's a joke, don't kill it, ok). In Malay, for an adjective to be superlatively comparative, it needs to be combined with the word ‘lebih’ to indicate superiority and ‘paling’ to indicate the highest level superiority, which is equivalent to ‘more’ and ‘most’ in English, respectively.

So, after all the above explanation, wasn’t it logical and sensible that ‘best-selling’ or ‘best-sellers’ be translated as ‘paling laris’? Is that so hard for that particular shabby-shoddy-doo guy, who translated it into ‘LAKU KERAS’, to at least ask around? Or maybe he/she did, but I think their darts are played on a chess board instead.

‘Paling Laris’ can even be simplified to ‘Terlaris’. A practice of which is one of the rule of thumb in doing translation: simplification without missing the context. So, in the end:

Best-selling (or Best-sellers) = Terlaris

To think that the institution involved is a bookseller, one who should be part of championing literature, is what makes me angry.

I was angry, then angrier, now angriest!


Here... in smiley form (how ironic! It doesn't even smile but it's still called smiley)

Extra: Haiwan maun, maging and maserba

During our class (which we have completed and sat for the exam last week, yay!!), a facilitator had brought up the issue of Malay spelling when a word is borrowed from English, adapted as a whole because there was no equivalent Malay word for them. Or rather, she told us the rule of converting those spellings.

So she gave us examples of herbivore, carnivore and of course omnivore when it comes to words that end with –ore. Simple, she said. Lose the ‘e’ at the end, and change the consonants to Malay equivalent like ‘c’ to ‘k’. OK, that is simple enough. So the Malay words would be herbivor, karnivor and omnivor.

Then I asked her, whatever happened to our haiwan maun, maging and maserba. She said, “Oh! No, no, no. Those are considered archaic. We don’t use that anymore.”

Archaic? It was only about 40 years ago that we were happily using and joking around with those adjectives, making pun and targeting some poor friends with them. Remember the primary school science textbook with pictures of a cow munching grass (representing haiwan maun) and a family of bear having a dinner of extremely fresh sushi, unprepared and unsalted and fresh vegetables (representing haiwan maserba)? It was now archaic? Like the pyramids? It prompted me to check with PRPM (DBP’s reference website), and thank God, they still have them, well preserved.

That may be the problem: ‘well-preserved’ instead of ‘frequently used’.

So, I have suspicions why the former is preferred. And I’d like to stress that this is strictly my opinion. No political parties or individuals paid me to express this, although blogs these days seem to be playing the role of the receiving party so often. I am not saying. Hey! Sue me if you have to.

But, I digress.

Yes, but sorry that we very rarely use those terms except in scientific journals and textbooks. But that should not be the reason we simplify it that way. More and more times I noticed, blatant absorption of English into Malay. Why bajet when we have belanjawan? Why glu when we have gam? The list is endless. Do we just watch and wait until rumah becomes haus or meja becomes tebel? If that ever happened, Hang Tuah (his wiki here) will be the saddest person if he ever lived to that day.

This is how Hang Tuah purportedly looks like. Of course, this is  an imagination
of a white woman commissioned by the museum then, similar to the Tugu Negara,
which is another imagination of another white person. I have no comment.

But I guess, as long as it is in the DBP’s reference portal, we ought to put a priority in using it first. When we have exhausted all resources, or when we want to differentiate the meaning (as in polisi and dasar, or opsyen and pilihan), then can we borrow and adapt from any language in this world.

Which reminds me of a joke from friends* from MRSM Muar long ago, when the story of whatevervore came up. It goes like this:

Student: Cikgu, how about haiwan maik or haiwan mahi?

Teacher: Yes, the answer is ‘penampar’? You want or not? Or you can become haiwan mahi yourself.


Aiyo...! So garang la this teacher. Cannot joke one.

At least it was funny to me then.

*Bataque, Cokeng, Man Batang, Argh, Malan Kechik and Madeng, thank you for making life fun then and don't sue me for using your jokes please.

Translate This: wardrobe malfunction

I was browsing the Internet last night, to search news about Donna Summer, who very recently passed away. I searched all homepages that feature the wonderful Disco Queen. But then, I couldn’t help but notice, other links in those pages have something to say about another artist of equal caliber, Janet Jackson. Curiosity got the better of me, so clicked one of those links, and later more of those links.

I bet you know where those links took me to. Yes! What is Janet Jackson good for these days if not for the news of that ‘fateful night’ with another dubiously talented dancing male singer who goes by the name of Timberwood? Sorry, Timberland. No? Sorry again, Timber something.

You don’t remember? Here, to refresh your memory…

Later, she had an about-turn and adorned a hijab.

Errrrr… ok, almost a hijab but definitely more modest (her bf at that time was an Arab).

They immediately and interestingly coined in a term for that incident (like they knew it already and couldn't wait to let the world know), and other similar incidents that strangely follow later were conveniently called, a ‘wardrobe malfunction’.

(The world is strange because after one bizarre incident, for example a soccer player suddenly suffers a heart attack while playing at one corner of the world, triggers a tsunami of soccer players suffering from heart attacks while playing, it happened all over the world. Strange… yeah.)

But, I digress.

I want to know what that term is in Malay. A little more browsing, clicking, page-flipping and eye-squinting should do the trick I guessed, but no… there was nothing on the internet that say the same term in Malay. Time for ‘cari kutu’! (My term for ‘shake that jar and see what comes out’).

I could find no specific description of the term in PRPM, neither can I from any respectable Malay newspapers (is there any, anyway). So I guess, I have to coin in a Malay term myself here. But they do have description for ‘wardrobe’ and ‘malfunction’. Here they are (cut ‘n’ paste as usual):

Wardrobe: n 1. tall cupboard for hanging clothes, almari pakaian: her ~ is full of expensive dresses, almari pakaiannya penuh dgn pakaian yg mahal-mahal; 2. a collection of clothes, koleksi pakaian: she has a large ~ of evening dresses, dia mempunyai koleksi pakaian malam yg banyak; she bought a whole new ~ for her wedding, dia telah membeli koleksi pakaian yg baru utk hari perkahwinannya; 3. stage costumes, koleksi kostum: she is in charge of ~ for the school play, dia bertanggungjawab mengendalikan koleksi kostum utk persembahan drama sekolah itu.

Malfunction: n &vi pincang tugas: we have had several blackouts owing to a ~ in the generator, beberapa kali bekalan elektrik terputus krn pincang tugas pd penjana; his careless use of the computer had caused it to ~, kecuaiannya menggunakan

Now according to my rule of thumb, with reference to the definition from PRPM, wardrobe in this case can be translated into simply ‘pakaian’. It can’t be an ‘almari’ neither can it be a ‘collection of clothes’. She just had one set of costume on her, so it’s her ‘pakaian’, meaning what she is wearing at the time.

Now for ‘malfunction’ I have several options here. It is a noun in this context. The task is to pick the most appropriate one from these: kepincangan, kerosakan, kecacatan, ralat (all shortlisted from the best possible definitions in PRPM). After much deliberation with me and myself, I chose the word ‘ralat’. Here is why I didn’t choose the other three:

Kepincangan: it’s closest meaning normally describe a malfunction of an engine or system, such as an air conditioner or a family. It normally requires another word ‘tugas’ (task) to go together.

Kerosakan: normally means a system or object that is not functioning to the point of not being able to be used altogether, meaning it is more severe than 'kepincangan'.

Kecacatan: refers to malformation to an object rather than, say, a tear to your blouse.

The main reason I prefer ‘ralat’ to the other three is, following a rule of translation, a translation into the target language must be precise, shortest possible and apt. In this case 'ralat' is an error (which seems to be applicable to a wider range of fields in Malay). An error had happened to Janet Jackson’s dress that night (whether she and that Timber guy had premeditated it or not is not the issue here). So, the term can be translated as ‘ralat pakaian’. Let’s see, if it can be used in a sentence:

Janet Jackson telah menyalahkan ralat pakaian atas peristiwa yang berlaku dalam persembahan beliau dengan Justin Timberleg malam tadi. 
(Janet Jackson blamed a wardrobe malfunction on the incident during her performance with Justin Timberleg last night).

It reminds me of another 'ralat pakaian' occured to our Fauziah Ahmad Daud some years ago, when camera-phone existed only in Japanese animation Captain Future. Damn you, technology! Where were you when we needed you!


What?

Wrong?
What wrong? That guy’s name? Haiyaaaa… never mind la.

Translate This: extra virgin olive oil

A translator had posed a question, requesting the meaning of a term in Terminology section in Proz.com (a website flooded by freelance translators the world over, hoping to syphon some dollars or euros from some rich client’s bank account but always end up having to service peanut-paying, stingier than ‘tangkai jering’ kind of clients. They normally camouflage it with ‘community service’ card). The translator had asked for the meaning of ‘extra virgin olive oil’.

I know… you like that word too (I don’t have to say it again here).

So, without hesitation, you’d say, “Hey, that’s easy, it's minyak zaitun lebih dara”. Sure, sure, that’s because you brain is so pre-occupied with that word. For men, they’d wish they could marry one, once again. For women, they’d wish they became one, once again. But tell me please, from your ‘bluey’ mind, how can a virgin be more virgin? Sorry, I digress.

Here is what it is in Malay: minyak zaitun paling murni

Now, doesn’t that sound more like it, beautiful and coherent like the Malay language itself? I can’t help but feeling naughty when the other word is used. Don’t tell me you didn’t, you perv!

Let us thank a very experienced (and expensive) English-Malay translator who goes by the name Mek Yam. Don’t be misled by her name. She currently resides in New York (waaahh…!) and charges your arm for a page of translation. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any worthwhile link to her official website (if she has it which I think she should’ve). But she has an FB page. Go check from your respective FB. Mek Yam is raving crazy in translation forum all over and she has a chilli-flavoured mouth too, at least in those fora, I noticed. Read her explanation below. I cut 'n' paste from her answer to the question. 

1) extra virgin olive oil = oil that is produced naturally, meaning not made from any sort of chemical treatments. Virgin oil is an indication that the oil is not refined, that they are of a higher quality and retain their natural flavor.

2) Please see below the definitions of virgin in Malay from Dewan Eja Pro:

~ virgin [adj]: 1. pure and chaste, dara, perawan; 2. befitting a virgin, spt seorang /dara, perawan/: ~ modesty, kesopanan spt seorang dara; 3. pure and untouched, murni: the ~ snow, salji murni; 4. (of soil) unused, asal; 5. (of forest) in the natural state, dara; 6. (of clay) not fired, asal; 7. (of metal) made from ore by smelting, murni; 8. (of wool) not chemically processed, murni

That brings me to these questions: Doesn’t it apply to our own ‘minyak kelapa dara’ too? Shouldn’t we say ‘minyak kelapa murni’ instead of the former? What about ‘ayam dara’?

If it is so, and if I possess all the powers that behold, I will change all those buntings and signboards made by producers of those ‘virgin coconut oil’ and save for ‘ayam dara’ sellers (because I'm still researching it). But I don’t have it. And those who have it (ahem!) seem powerless and out-of-focus.

Can we somehow limit the use of that word to human being only? (As from the above explanation by Dewan Eja Pro).

As an extra, here is a related term which they have done a little improvisation to it. Andartu used to be an acronym to ‘anak dara tua’, or spinster in English. They thought it was crude. So they, taking beautiful and coherent Malay into consideration, coined in ‘anak dara lanjut usia’ and came up with an acronym of ‘andalusia’. Hmmm… I’d say I get more confused. Isn't that a region somewhere? Yes, it's in Spain. M. Nasir will be very angry.

And, I do not know who ‘they’ are.

Extras: Going Back to My Home Kampong

I am. 
For two weeks beginning 23rd April 2012 (It's my birthday FYI).


But why did I write kampong instead of kampung (italicised)?


It is because kampong is accepted in English as a valid word, borrowed completely. Validate here. But they adapted the spelling kampong instead of kampung. I suspect it has to do with how they pronounce it. Kampung will sound [kaym-pang] from their tongue, while kampong will sound very similar to our kampung [kaym-pong]. But I guess, mat salleh who has been here long would pronounce like us, kampung [kahm-poong].


But there are no worries as to how to translate it. Copy directly. That's acceptable too. But be careful, because the more acceptable spelling of kampong in Malay is kampung.


Now, don't fret over it and get more confused. Go have some tea.


I'll have my favorite coffee for now, Kopi Che Nah, the pride of Teluk Intan.

Grammar Matters: antara / di antara

Malay speakers (and writers) these days, have become more and more complacent. At least that was what the facilitator in our class opined the other day. Interestingly, as she stressed out later, when speaking or writing in English we take a more careful approach, so as to not make a mistake. Why didn’t we do the same in Malay?

Arguably, complacency? We take being born Malay, or born into a Malay speaking environment for granted.

The fact that the English equivalent is pretty vague doesn’t help either. My suggestion is use your common sense and rule of thumb when translating. In English, there are ‘between’, ‘among’ and ‘amid’ (sometimes ‘amongst’ and ‘amid’ but they don’t carry any different meaning, just a variation of spelling). The following is what dictionary.com describes ‘between’ and ‘among’ (I left 'amid' because it is very similar to among):

Among expresses a relationship when more than two persons or things are involved. Example: Three children were among the passengers killed in that accident.

Between is used when only two persons or things are involved. Example: I sat between Anok and Uchop.

Using this and a reference from Blog Cikgu Azemi, I gathered that there are similarities. He says:

Antara menunjukkan perbandingan. (shows comparison)

Di antara menunjukkan kedudukan/tempat. (shows position/place)

Based on that, it can be safely said that ‘antara’ is the Malay equivalent of ‘among’, and ‘di antara’ is that of ‘between’. But Cikgu Azemi’s explanation has some variation. Here is how the examples given above should be translated, and a few more examples from me too:

E: Three children were among the passengers killed in that accident.

BM: Tiga kanak-kanak antara yang terbunuh dalam kemalangan itu.

E: Shih Li, Qamar and Alaudin are among the students selected from class 5 Beta.

BM: Shih Li, Qamar dan Alaudin adalah antara pelajar yang dipilih daripada kelas 5 Beta.

E: I sat between Anok and Uchop.

BM: Saya duduk di antara Anok dan Uchop.

E: Shah Alam lies between Klang and Petaling Jaya.

BM: Shah Alam terletak di antara Klang dan Petaling Jaya.

But Cikgu Azemi says, when comparing two persons or things, use 'antara', because there is no subject between the two objects. Example: Antara Adnan dan Zamzuri, Adnan nampak lebih pendiam. Although in English we still say, Between Adnan and Zamzuri, Adnan seems the quieter. Now in this sentence: Perbualan di antara Shakinah dan Mashitoh berlarutan sehingga tiga jam. (The conversation between Shakinah and Mashitoh extends to three hours). 'Perbualan' (Conversation) is the subject and it sits between the two objects, that is why we use ‘di antara’. Whereas in the former example, Adnan and Zamzuri are the objects, and Adnan (the subject) does the verb 'nampak' (seems).

Also when using 'antara', do not pluralise the object because 'antara' has already indicated a plural subject e.g. antara pelajar ---not- antara pelajar-pelajar, antara negara Eropah -not- antara negara-negara Eropah. Also 'di antara' are two words, always.

Hmmm… among all of you who can understand what you’ve just read? How about a chat between you and your spouse, that can help, I suppose. 

Provided that it didn't extend to three hours and later create an invisible wall between you and your spouse.


That will be very bad, and do not point those fingers on me.

FYI: Revisited: Ministry of Defence's "Poke the eye"

Remember the Defence Ministry’s guideline on attire some time ago?
The poor chap who translated the Malay term ‘menjolok mata’ into ‘poke the eye’ must have now laid dormant in some rabbit hole or something, hoping he would find a new ‘parallel universe’ there.

The strange thing is, ‘menjolok mata’ isn’t even the right term. What? Yes, according to Kamus Dewan it is ‘mencolok mata’. The following explanation can be found at http://appw05.dbp.gov.my/dokumen/pedoman%20bahasa.pdf
Menurut Kamus Dewan (1994: 245), kata mencolok mata bermakna 1. mencucuk mata; 2. (bahasa kiasan) tampak jelas, kelihatan jelas benar, 3. membangkitkan marah orang yang melihat, menyakitkan hati, memberi malu.

Kata menjolok pula bermakna 1. menusuk (merodok) sesuatu dengan galah dll. supaya gugur, menusuk ke dalam lubang dll. 2. memasukkan jari tangan ke dalam lubang hidung (kerongkong dll.); 3. memancing-mancing keterangan dll.; daripada orang, mengajuk atau menduga hati.

Jadi, antara mencolok mata dengan menjolok mata, yang tepat ialah mencolok mata, iaitu bahasa kiasan yang bermakna tampak jelas atau kelihatan jelas benar. Contoh penggunaannya:

• Kakitangan kerajaan dilarang memakai pakaian yang mencolok mata.

This is what I understand. It has to be that the difference is whether the action is physical or not. You can still poke someone’s eye (‘menjolok mata’) provided that it means you use something for example your fingers to do that. This may be the result:

You must have very strong fingers. Can I borrow them?

As for something that you wear, for example, they are so skimpy that your labia are nearly visible or in case of a man, your ‘wrinkled fruit’, they are so distastefully worn, that it is a sore to your eyes and makes you uncomfortable especially when you can't avoid but look at them. You may look like this when it happens:

Not long ago (circa the turn of the millennium) Spritney Bears and Kristina Akugila involved in a media tussle as to who wears the most ‘mencolok mata’ outfit, in other words, it means the least put on. 

Here to remind you, ‘mencolok mata’ is not limited to skimpy outfit only or outfit only. Another example: Sampah yang dilambakkan di tepi jalan raya itu mencolok mata. (The rubbish heaped on the roadside is a sore to the eye)

I do apologize if some examples I gave above are distasteful. So, can we say ‘mencolok perasaan’ (hurting one’s feeling)?

Any expert out there?

FYI: Being Technical Vs Being Sensible

A lot of Malay words, standing alone or within a phrase, are initially and generally accepted as the correct term for its English equivalent. But as we progress, confusions seem to rise as to its exact meaning or when a variation suddenly appears as a result of re-classification (for example a disease that expands into several sub-diseases in the same family). A very good example of this is diabetes.

A generally accepted term for Diabetes in Malay is Kencing Manis. As you may know now, diabetes is not just kencing manis as in 'your urine is sugar-laden' or 'your urine is sweet as gula-kabung, ants just love them'. We are now informed about the various types of diabetes (mainly Type 1, 2 and 3. Know about them HERE). But, I am not going to delve deeper into what they are.


DBP recognised this long ago. That's why now diabetes is the Malay translation of diabetes. The problem is, can all the people in the general population, in this case Malaysians, actually comprehend that diagnostic term especially when a doctor is supposed to relay the bad news? Tell diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus or maybe diabetes berkaitan obesiti, to a Makcik or an Ah Soh or an Achii their 70's, mostly who at best graduated a night reading class circa the sixties a-la P. Ramlee movies. What you get from them is this: Mouth agape, eyes blinking and nervous hands wiping off sweat with tissues or the end of their selendang.


That's why doctors and translators alike address the issue sensibly by telling an uninformed person a more generally understood term of certain words to avoid an unnecessary new coronary-related disease being diagnosed at the same time. Bahasa Melayu translators would normally use diabetes as diabetes in formal translation texts, by reason that those who read it has a certain degree of knowledge to it. In a text known to be distributed to a lesser informed population, we are advised to include terms that minimize confusions.


Did you notice that these days over teh tarik, we sometimes refer diabetes as diabetes and not kencing manis in our normal Bahasa  Basahan conversation? Did you realize also teh tarik is a big contributor to Type 2 Diabetes.. he he..


Well, time and sensibility made us well aware and informed.


Tell me if you agree.

Translate this: Policy

Browsing through the ever so reliable Gerbang Maya DewanBahasa Dan Pustaka, it can be deduced that the word ‘policy’ has two definitive translations. They are:

English: Policy

Bahasa Melayu: 1. Polisi, 2. Dasar.

You may wonder though, which one should one use? Are they interchangeable? Unfortunately, they are not interchangeable, as I found out later, from a very established translator friend, Shakira Zain. She informed me these two words can only be used in these circumstances, respectively:

Polisi – is to be used ONLY in articles related to insurance. Polisi will always be a noun (kata nama). Don’t go clever (memandai-mandai) and create a new word like ‘mempolisikan’.

Dasar – for all other usage. In this case it is always a noun too.


But, for other meanings, it can be a noun or a verb, and with affixes, the derivation (kata terbitan) can be a noun, verb, adjective and so on. For example: berdasarkan (based on), dasar lautan (ocean bed).

The confusion that could arise from this is that you may have stumbled upon, somewhere that says, for example, Polisi Syarikat XYZ Berhad. What follows then, is a list of the company’s policy. This is an example of a wrong usage of the word polisi. It should be ‘Dasar Syarikat XYZ Berhad’ because it is not about ‘an insurance policy’ or anything related, but a policy that may mean, among others, a guideline to performing at a workplace.

Easy way out, eh? Senang-senang je terjemah ikut bunyi...

Of which... had I been given the power to police this wrong usage of the word polisi, I will knock on every door of every company here in Malaysia, and give them my own 'personal policy' on it. And it may contain some very colorful terms, and the colors are not going to be beautiful.

Erm.. by the way, can you do that for me, please? Maybe until I received my Kad Kuasa Polis Bahasa. Can ar? 

Can...? 

Thanks….

Translate this: Roadshow

Would you say... that you wouldn’t have known it until someone told you, as was in my case? It is only until recently that I know...


Roadshow is translated as Jerayawara.


We don’t see it that frequently though, maybe that’s why, but the Malay word for it is right here > Gerbang Maya Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka.


Here is an example of a very popular roadshow that has become a household name in Malaysia. It's purpose though, remains vague:



Here is a cut and paste from PRPM on its meaning:
Jerayawara
persembahan, pameran, ceramah dsb yg diadakan oleh seseorang atau se­kum­pulan orang (penyanyi, ahli politik dsb) yg ber­­kunjung dr satu tempat ke tempat lain dgn tujuan memberikan hiburan, menjelaskan sesuatu isu kpd orang ramai, mempromosikan sesuatu dsb: persatuan itu melaksanakan program pendedahan dan pendidikan, termasuk beberapa siri ~ yg meliputi seminar dan pa­meran.

But I couldn’t fine the meaning of jeraya in PRPM which prompted me to scour the Internet. Then, I stumble upon a link that took me to a very established English-Malay translator who goes by the name of Mek Yam. She pointed out the origin of jeraya, which is a slang in Sarawak meaning jalan raya (road). Fair enough, I thought. What about wara? Well that's an easy one because PRPM has its meaning. It’s pemberitahuan, pengumuman, pengisytiharan.


Personally, I feel like the resulting word is plucked out of the wind. But they do have a solid explanation to it. And it is way much better than if we were forced to use a stupido-and-lazyo-sounding ‘rodsho’.