Grammar Matters: When two Malay words used as a translation, especially with affixes

First, let's find an example, say,


Translate: Improve/Improvement


Improve is the verb, improvement is the noun. I'd say checking the meaning with with PRPM doesn't yield a satisfactory result, when it says the meaning is bertambah baik. But bertambah baik is an extrinsic verb. Extrinsic meanings are those which involve some kind of human judgment about what is or isn’t likely to happen, so include meanings which are often described as prediction or possibility. So, when you want to make it an intrinsic verb, take 'tambah baik' then add prefix of 'me', in which 't' will be substituted with 'n', so that it will become menambah baik. But that's the verb form, what about the noun improvement?


Here is what this entry is all about.


The Malay grammar rule states that: a derivative that is actually a combination of two words, which when stand alone, can carry a meaning of its own, a hyphen should not be included. Hyphenation applies only when the words are exactly the same word, example: bila-bila, apa-apa; and in a plural form (kata berganda), example: kacau-bilau, porak-peranda.


In case of the example tambah baik; tambah has its own meaning of add, and baik is good. When combined, it becomes a derivative which has the meaning of improve in English.


"But, where does this take us?" You might ask.


Here, it is not a question of hyphenating it. It is combining them to make one word all together.


To make tambah baik become a noun, we add prefix 'pe' (as always, t is substituted with n), and suffix 'an'. The resulting word becomes:


Improvement : Penambahbaikan


Notice tambah baik is now one word all together. Why? Here is the rule: When added prefix and suffix simultaneously, such words are combined. When only either prefix OR suffix is added, they remain two words, without hyphen.


It took me awhile though. How about you?

Translate: Outreach

I was in my class last Saturday when the facilitator told us the handouts that he was supposed to give us was not yet ready (for whatever cause).


He then started to churn out some tips in translating. A few tips led to more tips before a good part before the class having a tea break, turned into Q&A session about tips and how to.


One of the words, he explained, was taking them years to find the right translation. It was then they realize, Malay, just like English, have dialects. So they resolved that as long as we resourced the translated words from the same root (The Malay Archipelago) there should not be much dispute. Using phonetic of outreach to spell 'outric' seem to be inviting controversy than resolution. Scouring our neighbor Indonesia's vocabulary, they found out that, in Indonesia, they have long been using a perfect translation for the word.


The word is : Outreach
The Malay translation : Anjangkarya


In Indonesia, unlike in Malaysia, the word karya will always mean work. Indonesians translate 'workers' as 'karyawan' where as in Malaysia a karya means a work of art, thus a karyawan in Malaysia is an artist or an author. As for the word anjang, it means to visit (Reference: Kamus Bahasa Indonesia). The combination of the two words to become anjangkarya perfectly fits the meaning of the translation for the English word outreach, which is a visit while at the same time performing the work meant for the visit.


I couldn't agree more.

Translate: Message from Prime Minister

A text in a form of a letter from dignitaries, for example a preceding minister's message in an annual report, will always have in English - "A Message from Minister of Such And Such".


Example: Message form Transport Minister.


Here, 'message' is not a message as in 'pesanan' in Malay. 'Pesanan' is indeed message but that refers to a message being relayed through regular communication, for example "Pesanan dalam bentuk tulisan tangan" which is "A hand-written message".


In this case the more appropriate translation for the word message is "Perutusan", which is also a message, but intended mostly to the general public, in this case those who read the annual report.


The Malay translation thus reads: Perutusan daripada Menteri Pengangkutan.


Pesan (the verb) does not singularly mean to send a message, it may also mean, among others, to remind someone of something e.g. "Ibu berpesan kepada Rashid bahaya mandi di sungai pada musim tengkujuh" which is "Mother reminds Rashid the dangers of swimming in rivers during monsoon season".


There are a lot more meanings of the Malay word "Pesan" and its derivatives. You may refer to Gerbang Maya Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.

Translation Made Easy

Many terms in English when translated into Malay have very plasticky sound to them, especially when proverbs are involved. See example below:

English : The pot calling the kettle black.

There is a Malay proverb which is 100% equivalent and carries the same meaning when they both stand alone. It's "Mengata dulang paku serpih".  But, when the English proverb is used in a sentence, is it really necessarily correct to use the Malay equivalent proverb? Or will it sound better if it is translated as standard Malay for example, "merendah-rendahkan seseorang itu sedangkan dirinya sendiri pun sama setaraf".

I created this blog as a way to iron out doubts and uncertainties about terms that has many ways of usage. They definitely depend on the context of the sentence, even the context of the article it's part of.

If you noticed that I may be wrong, there's always the comment box for you to express your opinion. But, unless you are a politician on the verge of being ousted by your own supporter, please reserve any vulgar and colorful language to yourself.

Thank you.

Sonessadii