List of English words of Malay origin

Loan words from Malay in English ; Agar (also 'agar-agar'): a gelatinous substance obtained from various kinds of red seaweed and used in biological culture media and as a thickener in foods.; Amok : ('berserk'), as in 'to run amok'; Bamboo : from "bambu"; Banteng : from "banteng", 'a SE Asian forest ox that resembles the domestic cow, domesticated in Bali [Bos javanicus.] '; Caddy : from "kati" (a measurement unit, whereby 1 kati = approximately 600 g); Cockatoo : from kakak or sister and tua or older ("burung kakaktua" lit. the elder sister bird)); Compound (enclosed group of buildings) : by folk etymology from "kampung" or 'village'; Cooties : from "kutu", 'lice'; Dammar : from "damar", 'resin; resin obtained from various mainly Indo-Malaysian trees, used to make varnish.'; Dugong : from "duyung", 'mermaid'; Durian : from "duri" 'thorns', hence "durian", 'thorny'; Gambier : from "gambir"(the name of the plant), an astringent extract of a tropical Asian plant, used in tanning'; Gecko : from "geko,gekok"; Gingham : from "ginggang"; Gutta-percha : (a type of tree whose sap is used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber) from "getah", 'rubber' and "perca", 'scrap/piece'; hence "getah perca", 'a scrap/piece of rubber' ; Junk (type of boat) : from "jong"; Kapok : from "kapuk", 'a fine fibrous substance which grows around the seeds of a ceiba or silk-cotton tree, used as stuffing for cushions'; Kapur : from "kapur" a large tropical tree which yields light brown wood, edible fruit, and camphor [Genus Dryobalanops.] ; Komodo : from "komodo"; Kris (also archaic 'creese') : from "keris", 'a Malay/Indonesian dagger with a wavy-edged blade' ; Mangosteen : from "manggustan"; Meranti : from "meranti", 'white, red, or yellow hardwood from a SE Asian tree (genus Shorea)'; Merbau : from "merbau", 'the hardwood of a SE Asian tree (genus Intsia)'; Orangutan : from "orang hutan" or 'people of the jungle'; paddy : as in 'paddy-field' or 'rice paddy', from "padi", referring to the rice plant "Oryza sativa".; Pandanus : from "pandan", 'a tropical tree or shrub with a twisted stem, long spiny leaves, and fibrous edible fruit. [Genus Pandanus.] '; Pangolin : from "pengguling", 'one that rolls/curls'; Parang : from "parang", 'a Malayan machete', ; Proa (also 'prahu' or 'prau'): from "perahu", 'a Malaysian or Indonesian sailing boat, typically having a large triangular sail and an outrigger'; Rambutan : from "rambut" 'hair', hence "rambutan", 'hairy'; Ramie : from "rami", 'the plant of the nettle family which yields this fibre, native to tropical Asia. [Boehmeria nivea.] ' ; Rattan : from "rotan"; Sago : from "sagu", '(sago palm) the palm from which most sago is obtained, growing in freshwater swamps in SE Asia. [Metroxylon sagu.] ; any of a number of other palms or cycads which yield a similar starch.'; Sarong : from "sarung", 'wrap/sheath'; Satay (also 'sate') : from Malay "satai", Javanese/Indonesian "sate", 'an Indonesian and Malaysian dish consisting of small pieces of meat grilled on a skewer and served with spiced sauce.'; Trepang : from "teripang/trepang"

See also

* Lists of English words of international origin
* at Wiktionary, Wikipedia's sister project