Obscure Languages
Occasionally, McElroy fulfills a small request that for one reason or another is uniquely interesting. This is about just such a request: translation of a faxed copy of a handwritten, 2-page document initially thought to be Arabic.
We were surprised when one after another, our Arabic translators who reviewed it weren’t able to translate it. Examination of the document had, however, revealed that it was written in some form of Arabic script and had a date of 1938.
Further conversation with our client revealed that our client’s wife was from Malaysia, and that the document might be an old deed of tribal lands.
It was determined that our client’s document was written in Jawi (سراواك), a script derived centuries ago from Arabic, but including an extra six characters. From the European influence, nearly all Malay today is written in Roman script rather than Jawi.
Jawi is now considered an endangered script.
The document did reference land in or near Mukah, a coastal town in what is now the state of Sarawak on the Malaysian portion of the island of Borneo, which provided the clue to solving this mystery!
McElroy’s Customer Service Coordinator, Carol Moya, adds an interesting connection to this document, “The day after we discovered what language this was, I went into store, and saw a fragrance called “Sarawak.” I was so excited that I knew where Sarawak was, that I told the salesperson. She knew it was in Malaysia and said the fragrance contains plants and spices from Malaysia. I passed this info on to our client, and he was excited too, wanting to buy the fragrance for his wife! I bought some little candles in this fragrance for our Translation Coordination Dept. for all their efforts, and because I wanted to see the looks on their faces when they saw the name!”
For a company that primarily translates highly technical documents this was an exotic treat, both across culture and time.
A little about Malaysia:
Located in Southeastern Asia, western Malaysia is on a peninsula bordering Thailand and eastern Malaysia is on the northern one-third of the island of Borneo. Malaysia has an unusually diverse cultural history that is evident across Malaysia.
Languages commonly used in Malaysia include Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, and Thai. In eastern Malaysia there are several indigenous languages, with the most widely spoken being Iban and Kadazan.
Religions encompass Islam, Buddhism, Daoism, Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhism, and in eastern Malaysia, Shamanism.
Photo Credit: elbisreverri’s photos
The capital is Kuala Lumpur, home of the famous Petronas Towers.
The state of Sarawak itself has an unusual history. Sarawak was ceded by the sultan of Brunei to an Englishman, James Brooke, who became rajah of the independent state in 1841. Although it became a British protectorate in 1888, it was controlled by the Brooke family for 105 years.
Sarawak is home to 28 ethnic groups: each with its own distinct language, culture and lifestyle. Many families in Sarawak live together in longhouses “The Iban like visitors,” explains Cibu Nuyagang, a longhouse guide. “It means that their house is wanted. If nobody came, they would wonder why.”
For a cool map you can enlarge to see where the town of Mukah is located in Sarawak click on the link in this web page and zoom in. Mukah is the homeland of the Melanau people, one of the many native tribes of Sarawak. Many homes are built on stilts as much of the land surrounding Mukah is peat swamp, suited for growing sago and oil palm.
A favorite Melanau dish is Umai, raw fish salad. The fish is soaked in lime and other juices, then onions, peppers, and spices are added. It’s often served with sago pearls and a dipping sauce.
If Malaysia sparked your curiosity, here are a few sites you’ll find interesting:
Good all-around site: Geographia - Malaysia
