Harman Patil (Editor)

Cocos Malay

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Native to
  
Australia, Malaysia

ISO 639-3
  
coa

Region
  
Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Sabah

Ethnicity
  
4,000 in Malaysia (2000)

Native speakers
  
(1,100 in Australia cited 1987)

Language family
  
Creole Malay-based Betawi (Java Malay) Cocos Islands Malay

Cocos Malay is a post-creolized variety of Malay, spoken by the Cocos Malays of Home Island, Christmas Island, and those originally from the Cocos Islands currently living in Sabah.

Cocos Malay derives from the Malay trade languages of the 19th century, specifically the Betawi language, with a strong additional Javanese influence. Malay is offered as a second language in schools, and Malaysian has prestige status; both are influencing the language, bringing it more in line with standard Malay.

Characteristic

  • Javanese influence: cucut "shark", kates "papaya", walikat "shoulderblade" etc.
  • First-person and second-person singular "gua" "lu" from Hokkien.
  • Causative verb "kasi".
  • "Ada" not only mean to "there is ...", but also is progressive particle.
  • Possessive marker "punya".
  • Third person indefinite "ong" from orang "person"

    • References

    Cocos Malay Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA