At a Glance
- Meaning
- Land of the Malays
- Origin
- English/geographic coinage (Malay + -ia)
- Gender
- Girl
- Pronunciation
- muh-LAY-zhah
Malaysia is an English/geographic coinage (Malay + -ia) girl's name meaning “land of the Malays”.
Meaning & Origin of Malaysia
Meaning: Land of the Malays.
Origin: English/geographic coinage (Malay + -ia).
A common claim: Malaysia's name added '-si-' to 'Malaya' to honor Singapore, Sarawak, and North Borneo (Sabah) joining the federation Actually: This is a folk etymology. Wiktionary shows the name actually predates the 1963 federation — it was coined in the 19th century from 'Malay' + '-ia.'
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Malaysia
muh-LAY-zhahIPA /məˈleɪʒə/
