Where does “Malaya” come from?

Malaya derives from Malay Tanah Melayu, literally "Malay land," a name for the Malay Peninsula used by speakers of the Malay language.

Ancestry of “Malaya”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishMalayOf or relating to the Malays, a people living in...
2MalayMelayuMalay
3MalayMalayu—
4Old Javaneselayūto run
5Proto-Sunda-Sulawesilariw—
6Proto-Malayo-Polynesianlaʀiw—
7Proto-Austronesianlaʀiw—

Words derived from “Malaya”

Every word from Proto-Austronesian laʀiw →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian laʀiw →Every word from Proto-Sunda-Sulawesi lariw →