Etymology Explorer › English

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 Javaneselayū—
5Proto-Sunda-Sulawesilariw—
6Proto-Malayo-Polynesianlaʀiw—
7Proto-Austronesianlaʀiw—

Words derived from “Malaya”

  • Malaysia
  • Malaysian
  • Malayan
  • Indomalayan
  • Malayanization
  • Malaysianness
  • Indomalaya
  • Malaysianization
  • Malayanize
  • Malaysianize
  • Malayanist
  • 馬來西亞
  • マレーシア
  • मलेशिया
  • Malaysie
  • Malaysia
  • Malaysia
  • Malaysia
  • মালয়েচিয়া
Every word from Proto-Austronesian laʀiw →