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?