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Malay (Austronesian) Loanwords in English

The Austronesians originated in Taiwan, whose indigenous peoples still speak Austronesian languages. They spread to the Philippines and the Malay archipelago, and from there all the way to Madagascar and Polynesia. Some of the world's busiest trade routes, both in history and now, go through the strait of Malacca. Indonesia was also the source of valuable spices, tropical hardwoods, incense, and more. Long before European colonization, the Malay language was already used widely in this region for trade, probably due to the Srivijaya empire with its capital near modern Palembang, Sumatra. Arabs, Persians, Indians and the Chinese traded and settled here, taking with them their cultures and religions. No wonder then, despite being on the other side of the world from Britain, several Malay and Austronesian words entered the English language. In this quiz, there are also terms from Javanese and the Philippine languages.
Note that the Polynesian (Oceanic) language are part of the Austronesian family: see this quiz.
* Words with an asterisk have disputed or uncertain etymologies.
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PeregrineFalcon
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Last updated: April 1, 2025
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First submittedApril 1, 2025
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A vegetarian version of jelly, made with certain types of algae. Also used as a culture for bacteria. The word can be repeated.
agar-agar
To go on a killing spree, to go out of control.
to run amok
Tagalog. A small and sour citrus fruit, probably a crossing of a kumquat and a mandarin.
calamansi
An chemical with a distinctive aroma obtained from a tropical tree, used for religious ceremonies and mothballs. It already reached Europe in the Middle Ages through the Arabs. Starts with C.
camphor
A large flightless bird native to New Guinea and Australia, with a blue head. It has a reputation of being dangerous.
cassowary
Several species of parrot kept as a pet. The best known is white with a yellow crest.
cockatoo
Informal term for a louse. Schoolboys claim that girls have them and vice versa.*
cootie
Cebuano. A sea cow, closely related to the manatee. Starts with D.
dugong
A large, stinky, spiky tropical fruit. You may not take it with you on public transport in Singapore.
durian
A small lizard active at night which clings to walls and ceilings. Named after its call or perhaps from Acehnese.
gecko
A percussion instrument consisting of a large metal disk or bowl, struck with a mallet. It is sometimes used in Western orchestras.
gong
Javanese. Several species as fish, sometimes eaten but in the West more popular in aquariums. There is a kissing variety. Starts with G.
gourami
Javanese. A type of Chinese sailboat, often with red sails reminiscent of bat wings. The word may ultimately be derived from an Austroasiatic language thought to be spoken in Indonesia before the spread of Austronesian.
junk
A sour and yellow citrus fruit. It came to English via Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic and French.
lemon
Red-brown ape native to Borneo and Sumatra. In Malay, it means 'forest man'.
orangutan
An inundated field where rice is grown.
paddy
A mammal with scales, native to large parts of Asia and Africa. It rolls up when threatened. Thought to have played a role in the origin of covid, but this has been debunked.
pangolin
A type of shoe used in ballet and other dances. It may have originated in Arabic, then was adopted into Javanese via Persian. Finally, the English got it through the Dutch. A remarkable path.*
pump
Material from certain palms woven into wickerwork furniture and baskets. Starts with R.
rattan
Ilocano. A toy consisting of two disks connected to one end of a string. The other end is held by the hand. When thrown, it rolls back to your hand. It already existed in antiquity but it was popularized by a Filipino immigrant in the US.
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