A member of a people inhabiting Malaysia, Indonesia, and parts of Thailand and the Philippines. The Austronesian language spoken by the Malay people.
From Malay 'Melayu,' possibly from Sanskrit 'malaya' meaning 'hill' or from Tamil 'malai' meaning 'mountain.' The term originally referred to a specific region and people but expanded to encompass broader cultural and linguistic groups.
Malay serves as a lingua franca across Southeast Asia, demonstrating how languages can unite diverse populations across national boundaries. The language has absorbed influences from Arabic, Sanskrit, Portuguese, Dutch, and English, reflecting the region's rich trading history.
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