Brunei Languages

Brunei Wiki Topics

Brunei Beginning Research

Getting Started Online Learning Record Finder Research Strategies

Record Types

Church Records Civil Registration Compiled Genealogies Emigration & Immigration Online Genealogy Records Religious Records

Brunei Background

Gazetteers History Languages Maps Periodicals Social Life & Customs

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Local FamilySearch Center

In other languages: بهاس ملايو or Bahasa Melayu

Brunei

Languages

Description

There are a number of languages spoken in Brunei.

• Standard Malay - Also known as simply Malay. The official language of Brunei. Both the Latin alphabet (Rumi) and the Arabic alphabet (Jawi) are used. Malay was written in Jawi script before it was switched in to Latin alphabet around 1941.

• Brunei Malay - Also known as Melayu Brunei. The principal spoken language. It is rather divergent from standard Malay.

• English - Widely used as a business and official language. It is spoken by a majority of the population. Used in business as a working language and as the language of instruction from primary to tertiary education

• Chinese Languages - also widely spoken by the Chinese Minority.

• Arabic - religious language of Muslims. Taught in schools, particularly religious schools, and also in institutes of higher learning.

• Other languages and dialects spoken include -- Kedayan Malay dialect, Tutong Malay dialect, Murut, and Dusun.

Word List(s)

• 1,000 Most Common Malay Words - 101Languages
• Malay Word List - 101Languages
• 1000 Most Common Malaysian Words - 1000 Most Common Words

Alphabet and Pronunciation

Alphabet

• Standard Malay Consonants and Vowels - Wikipedia
• Brunei Malay Consonants and Vowels - Wikipedia
• Latin Alphabet - Rumi - Omniglot
• Jawi Alphabet - Omniglot
• Malay-individual-language Alphabet - Polyglot Wiki

Pronunciation

• Malay Pronunciation - Omniglot
• Malay-individual-language Pronunciation - Polyglot Wiki
• The Pronunciation of Brunei Malay - Universiti Brunei Darussalam

Language Aids and Dictionaries

Dictionaries

• Hendershot, Vernon Edwards and W G Shellabear. A dictionary of standard Malay (Malay-English). Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Association, 1945. Available at: WorldCat.
• Coope, A E. Malay-English/English-Malay Dictionary. New York: Hippocrene Books, 1993. Available at: WorldCat.
• Santoso, Suwito. Unabridged new crown dictionary of national language : Malay-English, English-Malay. Singapore: Phoenix, 1969. Available at: WorldCat.
• Brunei Malay dictionary. Brunei: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 1998. Available at: WorldCat.

Online Dictionaries

• Online Malay Dictionary - Lexilogos
• Online Malay-English Dictionary - Kamus
• Malay Dictionary - MalayCube

Language Aids

• Standard Malay Grammar - Wikipedia
• Brunei Malay Language Use - Wikipedia
• Malay Language Writing System - Wikipedia

Additional Resources

• Languages of Brunei - Wikipedia
• A Vocabulary of Brunei Malay - JSTOR
• A List of Brunei Malay Words - GoogleBooks