Malay

[ mey-ley, muh-ley ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a racially intermixed people who are the dominant population of the Malay Peninsula and adjacent islands.
2. of or relating to the language or culture of these people.

noun

1. a member of the Malay people.
2. an Austronesian language of Malaysia and Singapore, differing from Indonesian only in orthography.

Malay

/ məˈleɪ /

noun

1. a member of a people living chiefly in Malaysia and Indonesia who are descendants of Mongoloid immigrants
2. the language of this people, belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian family

adjective

1. of or relating to the Malays or their language

Other Words From

• non-Malay adjective noun
• pre-Malay adjective

Example Sentences

De' Conti acknowledged the fruit's esteem throughout the Malay archipelago, but considered its odour nauseating.

From Salon

Mr. Hishamuddin pointed out that a traditional expression declares it a tragedy if a Malay person doesn’t like durian.

From New York Times

By this time, the plane had reached the Bay of Bengal, which sits between the Indian subcontinent and the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia.

From New York Times

Critics say the party is seeking to woo ethnic Malay support after heavy losses in the last general elections.

From Seattle Times

Until the flaperon was found, the only evidence for the plane turning back on itself was data from military radar in Malaysia and Thailand, which spotted the plane flying west over the Malay peninsula.

From BBC