Terengganu Malay

Terengganu language (Malay: Bahasa Melayu Terengganu, Terengganu Malay: Base Tranung/Ganu) is a Malayan language spoken in the Malaysian state of Terengganu all the way southward to coastal Pahang and northeast Johor. It is historically spoken in the Anambas and Natuna islands of Riau Islands, Indonesia but its speakers (mostly elderly) are fastly diminishing and replaced by the local Malay dialects on the islands as well as the national and official standard of Indonesian. It is the state's most dominant Malay variety and also acts as the main lingua franca for various ethnic groups within Terengganu (the Highly localised Peranakan Chinese minority in Terengganu, known as "Mek Awang" mainly use Terengganu Malay besides their native Hokkien). Although usually considered to be a variety of Malay, Terengganu Malay is one of the most aberrant from all the Malay varieties in the Peninsular along with Kelantan-Pattani Malay and developed a distinct phonetic, syntactic and lexical distinctions which makes it mutually unintelligible for speakers from outside the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia [1]. However, Terengganu Malay shares close linguistic relations with Kelantan-Pattani and Pahang varieties in which it forms the same Malay group of East Coast Peninsular Malayan languages.[2] These similarities often confused many people outside the region, which usually interchanged Terengganu Malay with those of Kelantan Malay even though there are major phonological and vocabulary differences between the two.

Terengganu Malay
Base Tranung Bahasa Melayu Terengganu بهاس ترڠݢانو
Native to	Malaysia, Indonesia
Region	Terengganu, Mersing and Tanjung Sedili (Johor), Kuantan (Pahang) and few villages in Natuna-Anambas (Indonesia)
Ethnicity	Terengganurian
Native speakers	1.1 million (2010)
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian (disputed) Malayic Terengganu Malay
Dialects	Coastal Terengganu Inland Terengganu
Writing system	Latin script, Arabic Script (Jawi)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	None (mis)
Linguist List	zlm-coa (coastal)
	zlm-inl (inland)
Glottolog	None

Despite being the majority language of the state, Terengganu Malay also coexists with two distinct but closely related Malay varieties as well. In the districts of Besut and northern part of Setiu, the majority of the population speak Kelantan-Pattani Malay which is closely related but distinct from Terengganu Malay although in recent years many people from southern Terengganu started to migrate into these districts and both variants coexists with each other [3]. In Hulu Terengganu, the variety of Malay spoken there is often regarded as a sub-dialect of Terengganu Malay but have distinct phonology and some parts of the vocabulary than those spoken in other parts of Terengganu which sometimes unintelligible to coastal speakers. Even within different villages in Hulu Terengganu, the variety exhibit some differences as well mostly in terms of phonology. The rest of Terengganu however uses the Coastal sub-dialect of Terengganu Malay but there also exists some minor differences in terms of vocabulary between each districts but still largely mutually intelligible. The sub-dialect spoken in the districts of Kuala Terengganu-Kuala Nerus is considered the standard dialect for inter-ethnic and inter-district communications.

Terengganu Malay is considered to be the most recognisable identity of the state. This can be seen in many local television dramas, movies as well as in both modern and traditional songs and poems which emphasizes the usage of Terengganu Malay.[4] Radio stations such as Terengganu FM and Hot FM Terengganu mainly used Terengganu Malay in its broadcast along with 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 Hulu Terengganu Malay dictionary [5]

Names

The people of Terengganu usually referred 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 of outside Terengganu often misunderstood that Terengganuans usually called themselves and their language as 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.

Origin

There are several theories on the origin of the name 'Terengganu'. One theory attributes the name's origin to terang ganu, Malay for 'bright rainbow'. Another story, said to have been originally narrated by the ninth Sultan of Terengganu, Baginda Omar, tells of a party of hunters from Pahang roving and hunting in the area of what is now southern Terengganu. One of the hunters spotted a big animal fang lying on the ground. A fellow party member asked to which animal did the fang belong. The hunter, not knowing which animal, simply answered taring anu (Malay: 'fang of something'). The party later returned to Pahang with a rich hoard of game, fur and sandalwood, which impressed their neighbours. They asked the hunters where did they source their riches, to which they replied, from the land of taring anu, which later evolved into Terengganu. Terengganu was called Trangkanu (Thai: ตรังกานู) by the Siamese when it was under their influence.

Distribution

Terengganu Malay is natively spoken in most parts of Terengganu (exclude Besut and 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. 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 demographic of the area, which once received migration from the Malays of Terengganu.

Dialects

Terengganu Malay has two major dialects that is Coastal (zlm-coa) and Inland (zlm-inl) . A dialect spoken in Kuala Terengganu district are the de facto standard dialect of Terengganu Malay.[1] However, the most distinct of all dialects is Inland Terengganu Malay, spoken in Hulu Terengganu district, the Inland dialect have a distinct phonology compared to Coastal dialect, the most prominent is the pronunciation of the end letter "e", Coastal Terengganu speakers tend to pronounce it as a schwa while Inland Terengganu speakers tend to pronounce it with strong "e" (as in red) similar to Perak Tengah dialect. People in Setiu especially in the northern part of this district mostly speak a mixed Kelantanese-Terengganuan Malay due to its border between Besut which predominantly use Kelantan-Pattani Malay[6][7] but Terengganu Malay in the southern part of Setiu and Kuala Terengganu which use the more prestige form of Terengganu Malay. People in Dungun, Marang and Kemaman usually speak similar to those in Kuala Terengganu but with influences from Standard Malay and Pahang Malay as well (especially Kemaman). The people of coastal Pahang and the district of Mersing in Johor also use a Coastal variety of Terengganu Malay but with influences from Johor Malay.

Comparison between Coastal and Inland dialects

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

Literature

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 who 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) can be considered a fine example of Terengganu Malay literature. The song Blues Tranung/Ganu Kite by a famous Malaysian band Iklim was a major hit song at that time and is sung wholly in Terengganu Malay. In 1999 song recorded by traditional singers Noraniza Idris and Siti Nurhaliza called Dondang Dendang composed by Suhaimi Mohd Zain, the bridge part of the song contains old-trengganuan malay poem. The song is influenced by rodat sound (Terengganu style of Malay zapin). 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.[1]

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 /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 /ʀ/ orang اورڠ ('person') becomes oghang

final consonants are often only pronounced as a glottal stop. bukit بوكيت ('hill') becomes buke’ (bukiʔ) words are distinguished between lengthened initial consonant

final /l/ are silent. example: tinggal ('left') becomes tingga, tebal ('thick') becomes teba usually /l/ as in /lah/ are removed and became /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	You
Siapa	Piye	Who
Suka	Brehi/Brahi/Wahi	Like/interest
Ketawa	Suke/Gelekek	Laugh
Juga	Ghetek/Jugok (often shorten it to just 'gok')	Also
Kandang	Gok	Cage
Yang	Hok	That
Beritahu	Kabo/Royak	To tell
Tak nak	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
Naik angin	Mmusang	Angry
Dia	Ye/Nye	They
Leka	Ghalik	Preoccupied
Letih	Dok ghok	Tired
Beg 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	Ping	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	Hanyir Mekok	Very Fishy
Sangat Wangi	Wangi Mekok	Very Fragant
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 is closely related to those of neighbouring Kelantanese Malay, however it differs in terms of pronunciation especially the end 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, the difference only being 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 mistaken with another same Terengganuan word, which means 'to strike')	Frog
Kelekatu	Katu	Termite Alates
Anai-Anai	Ana-Ana	Termite
Sotong	Sutong	Squid
Kura-kura	Kure	Tortoise/Turtle

Some notable Terengganuan phrases

"starang baroh" means "really"... a popular phrase used when you want 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 phrases that have been used by Terengganu people is "Senyung sokmo" which mean "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.

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 their elderlies.

References

1. Slideshare.net https://www.ethnologue.com/language/zlm. Missing or empty |title= (help)
2. Slideshare.net (PDF) http://www.sabrizain.org/malaya/library/dialectresearch.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)
3. Slideshare.net http://padredeumares.blogspot.my/2013/07/besut-bumi-pertautan-dua-budaya.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
4. "Kajian dialek TRENGGANU". Slideshare.net. 2013-01-14. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
5. http://www.teganukita.net/2017/07/glosari-dialek-hulu-terengganu-dibukukan.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
6. Rencana (2013-07-14). "Orang Besut: Anak Terengganu, Kelantan Pelihara? - Mohd Izzuddin Ramli". The Malaysian Insider. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
7. "Profil Daerah : JPS Daerah Besut" (PDF). Apps.water.gov.my. Retrieved 2016-02-10.

External links

• Ensiklopedia Sejarah dan Kebudayaan Melayu, DBP Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia
• Loghat Terengganu | Terengganu
• Bahasa Malaysia Simple Fun - Terengganu Malay Language