List of loanwords in Malay
The Malay language has many loanwords from Sanskrit, Persian, Tamil, Greek, Latin, Portuguese, Dutch, certain Chinese dialects and more recently, Arabic and English. Modern Malay loanwords are now primarily from English, Arabic and Javanese — English being the language of trade and technology while Arabic is the language of religion, although key words such as surga/ syurga and the word "religion" itself reflect their Sanskrit-Hindu origins. Javanese elements on the other hand are incorporated from the variant of Malay used in Indonesia through the consumption of media from said country.
While based on Malay itself, Indonesian is traditionally more influenced by Javanese and Sundanese, as the Javanese are the largest ethnic group in Indonesia, with Javanese having the largest number of native speakers. Dutch influence over Indonesian vocabulary also is significant, as the Malay language itself was favored and adopted due to its trading benefit during VOC era over the archipelago, leading to mass loanword and influence over the modern Indonesian language. It is known that at least one third of the Indonesian vocabulary grew under Dutch influence.
There are some words in Malay which are spelled exactly the same as in its other language counterparts, e.g. in English – museum, hospital, format, lesbian, transit etc. In contrast, some Malay words have been loaned into other languages, e.g. in English – rice paddy, orangutan, rattan, babirusa, cockatoo, compound, gong, tuak, sago, cootie, amok, durian, agar, rambutan, keris, Pantoum/pantun, "so long", angrecum, cassowary, gingham, caddy, camphor, Gutta-percha, launch, parang, sarong, dammar, gambir.
The Malay language has also heavily influenced the forms of colloquial English spoken in Malaysia, also known as Manglish.
Some examples as follows:
| Word | English translation | From language | Word |
| abjad | alphabet/alefbet | Arabic | أبجد / abjad |
| abolisi | abolition | Latin | abolitia |
| akta | act | Latin | actus |
| activity | English | activity | |
| ad interim | temporarily | Latin | ad interim |
| Ahad | Sunday | Arabic | الأحد / al-Aḥad |
| ahli | community, expert | Arabic | أهل / ahl |
| agama | religion | Sanskrit | agama |
| akhbar | news | Arabic | أخبار / akhbār |
| aksara | alphabetic letter, key | Sanskrit | अक्षर / akṣara |
| almari | cupboard | Portuguese | armário |
| almamater | revered name for one's university | Latin | alma mater: wise and nurturing mother |
| amnesti | amnesty, state-granted pardon | Latin | amnestia |
| anggur | grape | Persian | انگور / angūr |
| angkasa | outer space, sky | Sanskrit | ākāśa "sky" |
| anugerah | award, blessing | Sanskrit | anugraha अनुग्रह "favour" |
| apam | kind of cake or hopper | Tamil | appam அப்பம் |
| arnab | rabbit | Arabic | أرنب / ʻarnab |
| askar | soldier | Persian | عسكرى / ʻaskarī / asker |
| asmara | love, passion | Sanskrit | smara |
| badam | almond | Persian | بادام / bādām |
| bahasa | language | Sanskrit | bhāṣā, Tamil பாஷை / pācai |
| bahaya | danger | Sanskrit | bhaya भय "risk, peril" |
| baki | remainder, leftover | Arabic | باقي / bāqī |
| bakti | homage, devotion, service etc. | Sanskrit | bhakti |
| baldi | bucket | Portuguese | balde |
| bandar | port/town | Persian | بندر / bandar |
| bangku | stool/chairs | Portuguese | banco / bank |
| bangsa | nation, race | Sanskrit वंश | vaṃśa "lineage, race" - cf. "wangsa" |
| bus | English | bus, from Latin "omnibus" | |
| bayu | wind | Sanskrit | वायु / vāyu |
| bendera | flag | Portuguese | bandeira |
| bendi | okra/lady's finger | Hindi | भेंडी bhēṇḍī, Tamil veṇṭi / வெண்டி |
| beta | I | the Moluccan dialect | |
| trishaw | Hokkien | 馬車,马车 / bé-tshia "horse-cart" | |
| difference | Sanskrit | bheda | |
| biara | monastery | Sanskrit | vihara |
| bidadari | fairy, angel | Sanskrit | विद्याधरी / vidyādharī "fay, sprite" |
| bina | to build | Arabic | بناء / bināʼ / bina 'construction' |
| bihun | rice vermicelli | Hokkien | 米粉 / bí-hún |
| biola | violin | Portuguese | viola |
| biscuit | English | biscuit | |
| bohsia | sexually active girl | Hokkien | 無聲 bô siaⁿ 'without voice' |
| bomba | fire brigade | Portuguese | bomba, "pump", or bombeiro, "fireman", lit. "pumper" |
| boneka | doll | Portuguese | boneca |
| bola | ball | Portuguese | bola |
| budi | reason, virtue | Sanskrit | bodhi, related to buddhism |
| buku | book | Dutch | boek |
| bumi | earth | Sanskrit | bhūmi "land" |
| cadar | bed linen | Persian | چادر / chādar "cloak" |
| cawan | cup | Mandarin | 茶碗,茶碗 / cháwǎn '“tea bowl” |
| cendana | sandalwood | Sanskrit | चन्दन / candana |
| cukup | enough | Mandarin | 足够 / zúgòu |
| scales | Mandarin | 台秤 / táichèng | |
| dakwah | sermon | Arabic | دعوة / daʻwah |
| degil | headstrong, stubborn | Sinhala | ඩීගිල් / ḍīgil |
| delima | pomegranate, ruby | Sanskrit | dāḍima / दाडिम "pomegranate" |
| demokrasi | democracy | Greek | δημοκρατία / dēmokratía |
| dekan | dean | Portuguese | decano |
| denda | fine, punishment | Sanskrit | daṇḍa दण्ड 'rod' |
| desa | countryside | Sanskrit | deśa देश "country" |
| dewan | hall | Persian | دیوان / dīvān "administration" |
| dewi | Goddess | Sanskrit | देवी 'devi' |
| dirgahayu | "long live" | Sanskrit | dirghayu |
| deskriptif | descriptive | English | descriptive |
| dobi | laundry | Hindi | धोबी / dhobī "caste of laundrymen who used to wash people's clothes in bygone days" |
| duka | sadness | Sanskrit | duḥkha |
| dunia | world | Arabic | دنيا / dunyā / dünya |
| durjana | evil, wicked, malicious | Sanskrit | durjana |
| English | |||
| erti | meaning | Sanskrit | arta |
| falsafah | philosophy | Arabic | Arabic فلسفة / falsafah, from Ancient Greek φιλοσοφία / philosophía |
| fitnah | slander | Arabic | فتنة / fitnah "upheaval, scandal" |
| forum | forum | Latin | forum |
| gajah | elephant | Sanskrit | gaja गज |
| gandum | wheat | Persian | گندم / gandom |
| garage | English | garage | |
| garpu | fork | Portuguese | garfo |
| gereja | church | Portuguese | igreja |
| grafik | graphic | English | graphic |
| gratis | for free | Dutch | gratis |
| guru | teacher | Sanskrit | गुरु guru 'heavy' |
| had | limit | Arabic | حد / ḥadd |
| halal | permitted | Arabic | حلال / ḥalāl |
| haram | forbidden | Arabic | حرام / ḥarām |
| harta | asset | Sanskrit/Tamil | arttam/அர்த்தம் |
| hartal | strike, civil disobedience | Gujarati | / haḍtāḷ, હડતાલ / haḍtāl |
| haiwan | animal | Arabic | حيوان / ḥaywān |
| hasta | hasta | Sanskrit | hásta हस्त |
| hina | lowly, inferior | Sanskrit | hīnna |
| hisab | counting/arithmetic | Arabic | حساب / ḥisāb |
| humaniora | humanities | Latin | humaniora |
| huruf | word character/letter | Arabic | حرف / ḥarf |
| ilmu | knowledge/science | Arabic | علم / ʻilm |
| Isnin | Monday | Arabic | الإثنين / al-Ithnayn |
| istana | palace | Sanskrit | āsthāna आस्थान assembly/audience hall |
| jawab | to answer | Arabic | جواب / jawāb / Cevap |
| jelata | the masses | Sanskrit | janatā जनता "community" |
| jendela | window | Portuguese | janela |
| Jepun | Japan | Portuguese | Japão |
| jiran | neighbour | Arabic | jiran جيران |
| Friday | Arabic | الجمعة / al-Jumʿah | |
| Thursday | Arabic | الخميس / al-Khamīs | |
| kaca | glass | Sanskrit | kāca काच "glass, lens" |
| kamus | dictionary | Arabic | قاموس / qāmūs / kamus |
| kantata | song | Latin | cantata |
| kapal | boat | Tamil | kappal கப்பல் |
| cassowary | Sanskrit | kās'sōvāris कास्सोवारिस् | |
| kaunter | counter, desk | English | counter |
| kedai | foodstall | Tamil | kaṭai கடை |
| keju | cheese | Portuguese | queijo |
| kelas | class | English | class |
| kemeja | shirt | Portuguese | camisa |
| kepala | head | Sanskrit | kapāla कपाल "skull" |
| because | Sanskrit | karaṇena करणेन | |
| kuli | coolie / port worker | Hindustani | قُلى qulī |
| karton | carton | English | carton |
| kartun | cartoon | English | cartoon |
| kereta | carriage, car | Portuguese | carreta |
| kerusi | chair, stool | Arabic | كرسي kursii |
| tent | Arabic via Persian | خیمة / khaymah | |
| kuil | temple/shrine | Tamil | kōyil கோயில் |
| kismis | raisin | Persian | کشمش / kishmish |
| kolam | pool of water | Tamil | kuḷam குளம் |
| koma-koma | saffron | Sanskrit | कुङ्कुम kuṅkuma |
| kompromi | compromise | The pronunciation suggests that this was borrowed from French | compromis |
| komputer | computer | English | computer |
| kurkuma | saffron, turmeric | Sanskrit | कुङ्कुम kuṅkuma 'saffron', influenced by Arabic كركم kurkum 'turmeric' |
| kongsi | share | Hokkien | kong-si 公司 |
| korban | sacrifice | Arabic | قربان / qurbān |
| kota | fort | Tamil | கோட்டை / kōṭṭai |
| kredo | creed | Latin | credō |
| kucai | chives | Hokkien | 韭菜,韭菜 / kú-tshài |
| kuda | horse | Tamil | கோடை kōṭai < Sanskrit घोट ghoṭa |
| cake | Hokkien | kué 粿 | |
| quality | Latin | kualitas, through Dutch: kualiteit | |
| kurma | date | Persian | خرما / khormā |
| rickshaw | Hokkien | 人車,人车 / lâng-tshia "human drag cart" | |
| lelong | auction | Portuguese | leilão |
| lemari | cupboard | Portuguese | armário |
| lirik | lyrics | English | lyrics |
| limau | lemon/orange | Portuguese | limão |
| lobak | carrot | Cantonese | 萝卜,蘿蔔 / lo4 baak6 |
| drain | Hokkien | 龍江,龙江 / liông-kang | |
| lori | truck/lorry | English | lorry |
| maaf | sorry | Arabic | معاف / muʻāf 'pardoned' |
| maha | great | Sanskrit | mahā |
| makmal | laboratory | Arabic | معمل / maʻmal |
| mangga | mango | Tamil | mangkāy மாங்காய் |
| mani | sperm, semen | Sanskrit | maṇi मणि "bead, jewel, gem" |
| manusia | human being | Sanskrit | manuṣyá मनुष्य |
| masjid | mosque | Arabic | مسجد / masjid |
| maya | illusion | Sanskrit | māyā |
| mentega | butter | Portuguese | manteiga |
| noodles | Hokkien | 麪 / mī | |
| meja | table | Portuguese | mesa |
| melati | jasmine | Sanskrit | मालती / mālatī |
| merana | suffering, wasting away | Sanskrit | māraṇa मारण "death" |
| merdeka | rich, prosperous and powerful | Sanskrit | mahārdhika |
| merdu | melodious, tuneful | Sanskrit | मृदु / mṛdu "soft" |
| mesej | message | English | message |
| minggu | week | Portuguese | domingo |
| miskin | poor | Arabic | مسكين / miskīn |
| misi | mission | Latin | missiō |
| mitos | myth | Greek | μύθος / mýthos |
| muhibah | goodwill | Arabic | muhibbah موهبه "loving" |
| muflis | bankrupt | Arabic | مفلس / muflis |
| mula | to start, to begin | Sanskrit | mūla मूल root, origin |
| munafik | hypocrite | Arabic | منافق / munāfiq |
| mungkin | maybe, perhaps, possibly | Arabic | ممكن / mumkin "possible" |
| mustahil | impossible | Arabic | مستحيل / mustaḥīl 'impossible, absurd' |
| museum | English Derived from Greek, the "um" suffix is Latin | museum, from Ancient Greek μουσεῖον / mouseîon and Latin suffix "-um" | |
| nadi | pulse, lifeline | Sanskrit | nāḍī नाडी "artery" |
| najis | excrement | Arabic | نجس / najis |
| nama | name | Sanskrit | nāma नाम |
| naratif | narrative | English | narrative |
| negara | country | Sanskrit | nagara नगर "city" |
| pineapple | Portuguese | ananás | |
| neraka | hell | Sanskrit | naraka |
| nihil | nil, nothing, zero | Latin | nihil |
| nisbah | ratio | Arabic | نِسْبَة / nisba |
| nota bene | actually, after look carefully, also | Latin | nota bene: note well, examine closely |
| nujum | astrologer | Arabic | نجوم nujūm 'stars' |
| nila | indigo dye | Sanskrit | nīla नील "blue" |
| nilam | sapphire | Sanskrit | nīlam नीलं "blue" |
| nisbah | ratio | Arabic | نسبة nisba |
| nobat | royal ensemble music | Arabic | نَوبة nawbah 'turn; changing of guards; bugle call; troupe of musicians' |
| Nusantara | archipelago | Javanese | nusantara |
| oknum | authority figure that perform unlawful or corrupted deed | Arabic | أقنوم uqnūm < Syriac ܩܢܘܡܐ qnoma 'person' |
| paderi | priest | Portuguese | padre |
| pahala | divine reward | Sanskrit | phala फल 'fruit' |
| pahlawan | hero/warrior | Persian | پهلوان / pahlavān |
| pancaragam | musical band | Sanskrit | pañca पञ्च "five" + rāga राग "melody/tune/musical note" |
| pau | steamed bun | Portuguese | pão. |
| perkasa | mighty | Sanskrit | prakāśa प्रकाश "enlightened" |
| permaisuri | supreme lady, queen | Sanskrit | परम parama 'supreme' + ईश्वरी īśvarī 'female ruler', via Tamil பரமேஸ்வரி paramēsvari |
| perpustakaan | library | Sanskrit | base word "pustaka" is the Sanskrit word for "book" |
| pesta | party | Portuguese | festa |
| pasar | market, bazaar | Persian | بازار / bāzār / pazar |
| peta | map | Tamil | paṭam படம் 'cloth; picture' |
| perdana menteri | prime minister | Sanskrit | pradhānamantri प्रधानमन्त्रिन् |
| pertama | first | Sanskrit | prathama प्रथम |
| pertiwi | native soil, motherland | Sanskrit | pṛthivī पृथिवी/pṛthvī पृथ्वी "Prithvi", mother goddess of the earth |
| piala | cup | Persian | پیاله / piyālah |
| pisau | knife | Mandarin | 匕首 / bi shou |
| pita | tape | Portuguese | fita |
| puasa | fasting | Sanskrit | upavasa |
| puja | idolize, worship | Sanskrit | pūjā पूजा |
| owl, stump | Pe̍h-ōe-jī | 凤狗,鳳狗 / hōng-káu | |
| punya | possessive verb | Sanskrit | puṇya पुण्य merit, deserving |
| pura | Hindu temple, city | Sanskrit | pura city/walled enclosure |
| purnama | full | Sanskrit | root pūrṇa पूर्ण - cf. "sampurṇa" |
| prince | Sanskrit | putra " son" | |
| purba | ancient | Sanskrit | purva 'past' |
| secret | Sanskrit | rahasya रहस्य "mystery" | |
| raja | king | Sanskrit | rājā |
| Rabu | Wednesday | Arabic | الأربعاء / al-Arbaʻāʼ |
| raksasa | monster | Sanskrit | rākṣasa राक्षस demon |
| rasa | taste | Sanskrit | rasa रस |
| ratna | jewel, gemstone | Sanskrit | ratna रत्न |
| renda | lace | Portuguese | renda |
| risiko | risk | Dutch | risico |
| roda | wheel | Portuguese | roda |
| ronda | verb, to patrol | Portuguese | verb rondar or noun ronda |
| rokok | cigarette | Dutch | roken "to smoke" |
| roti | bread | Hindi | रोटी roṭī 'bread' |
| rupa | shape, form, appearance | Sanskrit | rūpa रूप |
| sabda | quote, say | Sanskrit | śabda शब्द "word" |
| Sabtu | Saturday | Arabic | السبت / al-Sabt |
| sabun | soap | Arabic | صابون ṣābūn < Latin sabão < Portuguese |
| sahaja | casual, relaxed | Sanskrit | sahaja सहज "natural" |
| sains | science | English | science |
| sama | same | Sanskrit | sama |
| samseng | gangster | Hokkien | 三牲 / sam-sing |
| sakti | miraculous power | Sanskrit | शक्ति śakti |
| snow | Arabic | ثلج thalj | |
| sekolah | school | Portuguese | escola |
| seks | sex | English | sex, from Latin |
| selamat | safe, well-being | Arabic | سلامات salāmāt, used for greeting phrases as 'selamat pagi', etc. |
| Selasa | Tuesday | Arabic | الثلاثاء / al-Thulāthāʼ |
| sempurna | perfect, complete | Sanskrit | sampūrṇa संपूर्ण complete - cf. "purnama" |
| sengsara | Suffering | Sanskrit | saṁsara |
| Senin | Monday | Arabic | الإثنين / al-Ithnayn |
| banner | Dutch | spandoek | |
| sekolah | school | Greek | σχολή skholē |
| sepatu | shoe | Portuguese | sapato |
| serigala | wolf | Sanskrit | śṛgāla शृगाल "jackal" |
| seteru | adversary, enemy | Sanskrit | śatru शत्रु |
| singa | lion | Tamil, Sanskrit | ciṅgam சிங்கம், siṁha सिंह |
| sejarah | history | Arabic | شجرة shajarah 'tree' |
| soldier | Portuguese | soldado | |
| stadium | Greek | στάδιον / stádion "running race in the Ancient Olympics" | |
| status | status | Latin | status |
| driver | French | chauffeur | |
| syariah | Islamic law | Arabic | الشريعة / sharīʻah |
| syukur | thankful | Arabic | شكر / shukr / Şükür |
| heaven | Sanskrit | svargam | |
| sistem | system | English | system |
| suci | clean, pure | Sanskrit | śuci शुचि 'clean' |
| suka | happiness | Sanskrit | sukha |
| sula | to impale | Sanskrit | śūla शूल stake, spear, pike |
| syor | recommendation | Mandarin | 說,说 / shuō |
| sun | Sanskrit | sūrya | |
| takhta | throne | Persian | تخت / takht 'platform' |
| tangki | tank | Portuguese | tanque |
| tanglung | lantern | Hokkien | 燈籠,灯笼 / tanglong |
| typhoon | Persian | طوفان | |
| bean sprouts | Hokkien | 豆芽,豆芽 / tāu-gê | |
| bean curd | Hokkien | 豆腐 / tāu-hū | |
| tarikh | date | Arabic | تاريخ / tārīkh |
| teh | black tea | Hokkien | 茶乌,茶烏 / tê-oo |
| teja | magnificence, splendor, radiance | Sanskrit | tejas तेजस् 'sharp edge, glow, splendor' |
| taxi | English | taxi | |
| teko | teapot | Hokkien | 茶壺,茶壶 / tê-ko |
| televisi | television | Dutch | televisie |
| televisyen | television | English | television |
| tembaga | copper | possibly Sanskrit or Spanish | tāmra ताम्र or tumbaga. The Spanish word rather refers to a copper-gold alloy. |
| period | Portuguese | tempo "time" | |
| topi | hat | Hindi | टोपी ṭopī |
| tuala | towel | Portuguese | toalha |
| tukar | to exchange | Portuguese | trocar |
| university | Latin | universitas | |
| unta | camel | Hindi | ऊँट ūṇṭ < Sanskrit उष्ट्र uṣṭra |
| upacara | ritual | Sanskrit | उपचार upacāra 'approach; service' |
| utama | main | Sanskrit | uttama उत्तम "principal" |
| utara | north | Sanskrit | uttara |
| waham | delusion | Dutch | wanen |
| waktu | time | Arabic | وقت / waqt |
| wangsa | dynasty | Sanskrit | vaṃśa वंश "lineage, race" - cf. "bangsa" |
| wanita | woman | Sanskrit | वनिता vanitā 'wished for, desired; beloved woman' |
| warna | colour | Sanskrit | varṇa |
| warta | news | Sanskrit | vārttā वार्त्ता |
| giraffe | Arabic and English | زرافة / zarāfah |