Terengganu Malay

Terengganu Malay
Base Tranung Bahasa Melayu Terengganu بهاس ترڠݢانو
Native to	Malaysia
Region	Terengganu, Mersing and Tanjung Sedili (Johor), Kuantan (Pahang)
Ethnicity	Terengganuan Malay
Native speakers	1.1 million (2010)^[citation needed]
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian (disputed) Malayic Kelantan-Pattani Malay[1] Terengganu Malay
Dialects	Coastal Terengganu Inland Terengganu
Writing system	Latin script, Arabic Script (Jawi)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	–
Linguist List	zlm-coa (coastal)
	zlm-inl (inland)
Glottolog	tere1283
Linguasphere	33-AFA-ca
Regions with Coastal Terengganu majority (Dark Blue) Regions with Inland Terengganu majority (Blue) Regions with Coastal Terengganu minority (Light Blue)

Terengganu Malay (Malay: Bahasa Melayu Terengganu; Terengganu Malay: Bahse Tranung/Ganu) is a Malayic language spoken in the Malaysian state of Terengganu all the way southward to coastal Pahang and northeast Johor. It is the native language of Terengganu Malays and highly localised Chinese Peranakan (locally known as "Mek and Awang") community as well as a second language among the smaller Indian minority.^[2] The language has developed distinct phonetic, syntactic and lexical distinctions which makes it mutually unintelligible for speakers from outside the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, especially those who speak Standard Malay/Malaysian.^[3] Terengganu Malay still shares close linguistic ties with neighbouring Kelantan-Pattani and Pahang of which it forms under the umbrella term of "East Coast Peninsular Malayic languages".^[4] These similarities have often confused many people outside the region, who usually interchange Terengganu Malay with Kelantan Malay, even though there are major phonological and vocabulary differences between the two. Nevertheless, the two share close linguistic ties as they are both considered to be a part of the same Malayic family branch, with Terengganu Malay being a sub-branch of the Kelantan-Pattani Malay branch^[5].

Terengganu Malay also coexists with two closely related Malayic varieties. In the districts of Besut and northern part of Setiu, the majority of the population speak Kelantan-Pattani Malay but in recent years many people from southern Terengganu started to migrate into these two districts and both variants now coexist with each other.^[6] In the inland mukim of Pasir Raja, Dungun, several villages still speak a variant of Ulu Tembeling dialect of Pahang Malay, locally known as Pasir Raja dialect.^[7]

Terengganu Malay is considered to be the most recognisable identity of the state. This can be seen in many local television dramas, movies, songs, poems and religious sermons^[8] which emphasize the usage of Terengganu Malay.^[9] Radio stations in Terengganu whether public (Terengganu FM) or privately owned (Hot FM and Molek FM) mainly use Terengganu Malay in its broadcast alongside standard Malaysian. Recent years show an increase of awareness of the uniqueness of Terengganu Malay, such as the increasing use of Terengganu Malay in shop signs and recently the publication of a Hulu Terengganu Malay dictionary.^[10]

Names

The people of Terengganu usually referred^{[clarification needed]} to their language as base/bahse Tranung/Tghanung (/bahsɘ tɣanuŋ/) which means 'the language of Terengganu' or cakak Tranung (/tʃakaʔ tɣanuŋ/) which means 'speaking Terengganuan'. In Standard Malay it is known as bahasa Terengganu or bahasa Melayu Terengganu (dialek/loghat Terengganu which means 'Terengganu dialect' is also widely used). The people from outside Terengganu often mistakenly believe that Terengganuans usually call themselves and their language Ganu; the word Ganu is actually how the Kelantanese and the people of Besut in northern Terengganu pronounce Terengganu and is rarely used by southern Terengganuans (Southern Setiu to Kemaman) themselves. Besides Tranung and Ganu, the people of Terengganu sometimes use Ganung, Teganu and Teganung as well.

Distribution

Terengganu Malay is natively spoken in most parts of Terengganu other than Besut and the northern part of Setiu. Besides Terengganu, it is also spoken in coastal Pahang, from Cherating near the border with Kemaman district to as far south as Mersing district in the state of Johor.^[8] A variety spoken in the village of Tanjung Sedili in the district of Kota Tinggi is said to be a mixture of Terengganuan, Johorean and several other Malay varieties, reflecting the historical demographics of the area, which once received Malay migrants from Terengganu.

Dialects

Terengganu Malay has two major dialects: Coastal (zlm-coa) and Inland (zlm-inl) and each of these two dialects has several regional differences depending on districts or villages. The dialect spoken in Kuala Terengganu district is the de facto standard dialect of Terengganu Malay.^[3] The major differences between Coastal (known as Pata) and Inland (known as Ulu) dialects is the pronunciation of the letter "e" of which Coastal Terengganu speakers tend to pronounce it as a schwa while Inland Terengganu speakers pronounce it with strong "e" (as in red).

People in the northernmost regions of Terengganu, specifically in the district of Besut and several parts of Setiu do not speak Terengganu Malay, but instead uses another variant of Kelantan-Pattani Malay which is closely related but distinct from Terengganu Malay.^[11][12] The dialects spoken in Dungun, Marang and Kemaman as well as outside of Terengganu such as in Pahang (Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin) and Johor (Mersing) does not have significant differences than those in Kuala Terengganu and is classified as part of the Coastal dialect. The residents of Tanjung Sedili which is a small coastal village in Kota Tinggi, Johor spoke a dialect that is a mixture of Johorean and Terengganuan as the residents there are mostly of Terengganu Malay ancestry.

In Pasir Raja which is a mukim located in the interior parts of Dungun, majority of the Malays there spoke a variant of Pahang Malay specifically the Ulu Tembeling dialect instead of Terengganuan. It is because the majority of the people in those areas are descendants of Pahang migrants that migrated into Dungun more than a hundred years ago. Today both varieties (Pahang Malay and Terengganu Malay) coexists in Pasir Raja and the residents can fluently speak both of those varieties.

Comparison between Coastal and Inland dialects

Inland Terengganu	Coastal Terengganu	English
Ughaong/Ughang	Oghang	People
Kubo	Kuba	Buffalo
Balaik	Balék	Leave
Tubaik	Tubék	Out
Dimi	Déme	You
Mume	Mung	You
Bayak	Kabo	Tell
Ayo	Lebong	Lie

Literature

Ustaz Azhar Idrus, a popular religious preacher in Terengganu is often known for his use of Terengganuan during his sermons

Although essentially a spoken language with no standard orthography, Terengganu Malay is widely used in folk songs, poems, and also in mainstream and local media (such as local radio stations, dramas and movies). Ibrahim Taib, a famous Terengganu poet was known for his usage of Inland Terengganu dialect in his poems such as "Mok, Aku Nok Tubaik" ('Mom, I want to get out') and "Jadilah Awang" ('Enough Awang').

Music

Terengganu has a rich history of folk songs sung mostly in Terengganu Malay, among those are Anok Udang, Anok Burung Baniong, Ulek Mayang and Watimang Landok.

Besides traditional folk songs, Terengganu Malay has also made way into modern contemporary songs especially singers or bands who were born and raised in Terengganu. Among the most well known was the song "Blues Tranung/Ganu Kite" by a famous Malaysian band Iklim. It was a hit song not just in Terengganu but also across Malaysia in the 90s and 2000s.^[13] "Dondang Dendang", a 1999 song composed by Suhaimi Mohd Zain and recorded by traditional singers Noraniza Idris and Siti Nurhaliza, contains an old Terengganuan Malay poem in the bridge based on the traditional Terengganu dance called Rodat. Another band called Spring also recorded a song sung in Terengganuan, called "Hati Mahu Baik".

Phonology

Terengganu Malay has a distinct phonology and grammar compared to Standard Malay. The grammatical order and pronunciation is similar but also distinct to those of the neighbouring Pahang and Kelantanese Malay.^[3]

Pronunciation

/a/ followed by a nasal consonant changes to /ŋ/: ayam ايم ('chicken') becomes ayang; makan ماكن ('to eat') becomes makang

/a/ at the end of syllables changes to /ɔʔ/: minta مينتا ('to ask') becomes mitok

/ah/ changes to /ɔh/: rumah رومه ('house') becomes rumoh

/a/ changes to /ə/: saya ساي ('I') becomes saye

/i/ changes to /iŋ/: sini سيني ('here') becomes sining

/ua/ changes to /ɔ/: buaya بوايا ('crocodile') becomes boye

/aj/ becomes /aː/: sungai سوڠاي ('river') becomes sunga

/aw/ becomes /a/: pisau ڤيساو ('knife') changes to pisa

/ia/ before a nasal vowel changes to /ijaŋ/: siam سيام ('Siam') becomes siyang

/ia/ changes to /ɛ/: biasa بياسا ('once') becomes bese

/s/ and /f/ at the end of syllables changes to /h/: malas مالس ('lazy') changes to malah

/m/ and /n/ at the end of syllables changes to /ŋ/: hakim حاكيم ('judge') changes to hakeng

/r/ changes to /ɣ/: orang اورڠ ('person') becomes oghang

Final consonants are often only pronounced as a glottal stop. bukit بوكيت ('hill') becomes buke’ ([bukiʔ])

Words are distinguished by lengthened initial consonant.

Final /l/ is silent. Example: tinggal ('left') becomes tingga; tebal ('thick') becomes teba.

Usually /l/ as in /lah/ is removed and becomes /ah/. Example: Banyaklah ('so many') becomes banyok ah.

Bulang ('moon') vs. bːulang ('many months'); katok ('to strike') vs. kːatok ('frog'); siku ('elbow') vs. sːiku ('hand tool')

Vocabulary

Several comparisons between Standard Malay and Terengganu Malay with English translations:

Standard Malay	Terengganu Malay	English
Saya	Ambe/aku/saye/kite/oghang	I/me
Anda/Kamu	Mung/Deme/Awok/Mikey/Uning	You
Siapa	Piye	Who
Suka	Brehi/Brahi/Wahi	Like/interest
Ketawa	Suke/Gelekek	Laugh
Juga	Ghetek/Etek/Jugok (often shortened to just gok)	Also
Kandang	Gok	Cage
Yang	Hok	Conjunction, similar to 'which'.
Beritahu	Kabo/Royak	To tell
Tidak mahu	Tak Mboh	Do not want
Tidur	Tido/Jeretoh	Sleep
Apa	Nape/Mende	What
Degil	Babey/Gong/Kerah Keng	Stubborn
Selalu	Sokmo	Always
Duit/Wang	Pitih/Yya/Ghiya	Money
Kenapa	Bakpe	Why
Tidak	Dok	No
Ya	Ho/Ye	Yes
Jambatan	Ghetok	Bridge
Garang	Bekeng	Pugnacious
Apa Khabar?	Ape Kabo/Guane Gamok	How are you?
Tangkap	Tagak/Igak	Catch
Ejek	Nyenyeh/Nganjing	Insulting
Panas Baran	Mmusang	Hot-tempered
Dia	Ye/Nye	They
Leka	Ghalik	Preoccupied
Letih	Dok ghok	Tired
Kantung Plastik	Supik/Jabir	Plastic bag
Kawan	Saing	Friend
Sempat	Dang	Make it
Berani	Nellang/Tebeng	Brave
Kerap	Keghek	Many times
Azan	Bang	Adhan (Islamic call to prayer)
Jangan	Doksoh/Soh Beng	Do not
Kedekut	Kupik	Stingy
Biar	Lok	Let
Cuba	Ce/Tra	Try
Sekarang	Lening	Today
Keluar	Tubek	Out
Ais/Es	Ping/Peng	Ice (refers to ice cubes in water)
Tolong	Tulong	Help
Letak	Letok/Skung	Put
Buang	Tohok	Throw away
Panjat	Khabak/Kabak	Climb
Lempar	Lepo/Plekong/Petong	Throw
Sampai	Sapa	Arrive
Nanti	Kekgi	Later
Berjalan-jalan, Bersiar-siar	Derak, Doktong, Liwo-liwo	Stroll, trip, travel

Intensifier

Standard Malay	Terengganu Malay	English
Sangat Putih	Puteh Lepuk/Sepuk	Very white
Sangat Hitam	Itang Beletung/Belegang	Very dark
Sangat Merah	Meroh Nyale/Merang	Very red
Sangat Kuning	Kuning Sio	Very yellow
Sangat Busuk	Busuk Kohong/Bango/Hapok	Very smelly
Sangat Hancing	Hacing Pering	Very stenchy
Sangat Hanyir	Hanyey Mekok	Very fishy
Sangat Wangi	Wangi Mekok	Very fragrant
Sangat Tengik	Tengik Bango	Very rancid
Sangat Masin	Masing Pekok/Rebing	Very salty
Sangat Manis	Manih Letting	Very sweet
Sangat Tawar	Tawo Hebe	Very tasteless
Sangat Pahit	Pahik Lepang	Very bitter
Sangat Masam	Masang Rebang	Very sour

Numerals

Numerals in Terengganu Malay are closely related to those of neighbouring Kelantanese Malay; however, they differ in pronunciation, particularly the final letter.

Standard Malay	Terengganu Malay	English
Satu	Se	One
Dua	Duwe	Two
Tiga	Tige	Three
Empat	Pak	Four
Lima	Lime	Five
Enam	Nang	Six
Tujuh	Tujoh	Seven
Lapan	Lapang	Eight
Sembilan	Smilang/Mmilang	Nine
Sepuluh	Spuloh/Ppuloh	Ten
Seratus	Sratoh	One hundred
Seribu	Sribu	One thousand
Sejuta	Sjuta	One million

Animals

Most words for animals agree with standard Malay, differing only in pronunciation.

Standard Malay	Terengganu Malay	English
Ayam	Ayang	Chicken
Buaya	Boye	Crocodile
Ikan Tongkol	Ikang Aye	Euthynnus affinis
Ikan Cencaru	Ikang Kerah Ekor	Torpedo scad
Ikan Pelaga	Ikang Sekila/Skila	Fighting fish
Labah-labah	Llabe	Spider
Lintah	Litoh	Slug
Ketam	Ketang	Crab
Kerbau	Kuba/Kubo (in Inland Terengganu)	Buffalo
Kumbang	Kkabo	Beetle
Semut Merah	Semuk Gata	Fire ant
Ular	Ulo	Snake
Harimau	Rima	Tiger
Singa	Singe	Lion
Lipas	Lipah	Cockroach
Gajah	Ghajoh	Elephant
Burung Helang	Burong Lang	Eagle
Biawak	Bewok	Monitor lizard
Tupai	Tupa	Squirrel
Katak	Katok (not to be mistaken with a Terengganuan homonym, which means 'to strike')	Frog
Kelekatu	Katu	Termite alates
Anai-Anai	Ana-Ana	Termite
Sotong	Sutong	Squid
Kura-kura	Kure	Tortoise/Turtle

Notable Terengganuan phrases

Starang baroh means 'really', a popular phrase used to show or express something that is really serious or true.

Example: Ambe dok tau starang baroh, as opposed to Standard Malay or West coast Malay dialects: Saya memang tak tahu langsung.

Another famous Terengganuan Malay phrase is Senyung sokmo which means Senyum selalu in standard Malay and 'Smile always' in English. It is widely used by Terengganu people to wish other people well and to brighten their days.

Dokrok cettong denotes two situations whereby one is totally exhausted or someone who is very weak.^{[clarification needed]}

Sample text

Terengganu Malay:

Budok-budok lening koho dok kena makanang tradisi, sohbeng kate kuey, nasik pong ttuko bimbo lagi, nok wak guane makanang lening modeng blake, oghang mude tak mboh belajo duk ngarak ke oghang tue sokmo.

Malaysian:

Budak-budak sekarang semakin tak kenal makanan tradisi, jangan kata kuih, nasi pun masih tertukar lagi, nak buat macam mana makanan sekarang semua moden, orang muda tak nak belajar selalu mengharap ke orang-orang tua.

English

'Kids today don't know about traditional foods, it's not just traditional cakes, even the rice as well, what can we do all foods these days are modern, younger generations don't want to learn always rely on old people.'

References

1. https://www.lotpublications.nl/Documents/651_fulltext.pdf
2. "Gadis persis Kajol minta pengikut hormat agamanya, fasih dan pekat loghat Ganu tak semestinya perlu pakai tudung". mStar. 16 May 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
3. "Malay". Ethnologue.
4. Collins, James T. (1989). "Malay Dialect Research in Malaysia: The Issue of Perspective" (PDF). Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde. 145 (2): 235–264. doi:10.1163/22134379-90003253. JSTOR 27864031.
5. https://www.lotpublications.nl/Documents/651_fulltext.pdf
6. Mohd Nasir Awang (7 July 2013). "Besut – Bumi Pertautan Dua Budaya". Gemersik Bayu Pantai (in Malay).
7. Hasrah, Mohd Tarmizi (2020). "Dialek Pasir Raja: Ciri Fonologi dan Pengelompokan". Jurnal Bahasa. 20 (2): 173–202. doi:10.37052/jb20(2)no1. S2CID 234391264 – via ResearchGate.
8. Junaini Kasdan (January 2018). "Dialek Terengganu dalam Penyampaian Dakwah: Analisis Sosiokognitif (Terengganu Dialect in Preaching of Da'wah: A Socio-Cognitive Analysis)". doi:10.17576/jatma-2018-0603-03 (inactive 31 January 2024).
9. "Kajian Dialek Trengganu" (in Malay). 14 January 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2016 – via slideshare.net.
10. "Glosari Dialek Hulu Terengganu Dibukukan". TRDI News (in Malay). 17 July 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
11. Rencana (14 July 2013). "Orang Besut: Anak Terengganu, Kelantan Pelihara? – Mohd Izzuddin Ramli". The Malaysian Insider (in Malay). Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
12. "Profil Daerah: JPS Daerah Besut" (PDF). Department of Irrigation and Drainage (in Malay). 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
13. "Saleem imbau zaman gemilang". 11 September 2018.

Further reading

• Jiang Wu (2023). Malayic varieties of Kelantan and Terengganu. Amsterdam: LOT Publications. doi:10.48273/LOT0651. ISBN 978-94-6093-436-0.

External links

• Ensiklopedia Sejarah dan Kebudayaan Melayu, DBP Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia
• Loghat Terengganu | Terengganu Archived 20 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine
• Bahasa Malaysia Simple Fun – Terengganu Malay Language