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Changes in Malay Reduplicated Words. 



By B. 0. Winstedt. 



Definite classes of change in the second of Malay reduplicated 

 words may be distinguished; the resulting compound having the 

 usual significance of reduplicated words. 



I. The first letter of the word to be reduplicated is changed 

 into B in the second word. 



Halai-balai confused; ingar-bangar great uproar; sara- 

 bara confusion; cherai-berai scattered; eheret-beret 

 continual diarrhoea; haru-biru confusion, disturbance. 



II. The first letter is changed into M in the second word. 



Choreng-moreng all striped; kawin-mawin wedding festi- 

 vities; charut-marut gross obscenities of expression; 

 changkeh-mangkeh sticking out everywhere; sayur- 

 mayur vegetables; miap-tiap every; serta-merta im- 

 mediately. 



III. Vocalization is changed in the second word, U or of 

 the first syllable of the first word becoming A, and A of the second 

 syllable becoming E or I. 



Olak-alek, bolak-balek, kolak-kalek bad- wards and for- 

 wards; golak-galek topsy-turvy; upak-apek, lopak- 

 lapek talking this way and that, inconsistently ; dolak- 

 dalek prevarication, shilly-shallying; chorak-charek, 

 chobak-chabek, robak-rabek tattered, frayed; onyak- 

 anyek vacillating; kosak-kasek fidgetting; porak-parek 

 helter-skelter; komak-kamek masticating; kopak-kapek 

 pendulous, swaying to and fro. 



Untal-antil, kontal-kantil swaying to and fro (of short 

 thick objects) ; untang-anting, kontang-kanting sway- 

 ing (of long objects) ; ulang-aling to and fro; bolang- 

 baling chain-shot; cholang-chaling, kolang-kaling con- 

 fused; chompang-ehamping, rompang-ramping tatter- 

 ed, frayed; dongkang-dangking very emaciated; pon- 

 tang-panting helter-skelter; jongkang-jangking rising 

 and falling irregularly. 



Bongkar-bangkir turn upside down, confused; chobar- 

 chabir tattered; chongkar-changkir of all sizes; chong- 

 kah-changkeh with ups and downs, crooked; rondah- 

 randeh in confusion; kochah-kacheh fiddling with; 

 komat-kamit mouthing (food). 



Jtour. Straits Branch R. A. Soc, No. 77, 1917. 



