34 MALAY PLAKT NAMES. 



speaking- of an orchid ( Ang-grek) though I have more than once 

 known educated Europeans sadly at fault. 



To all the names given in the list the word Pokok, tree or 

 shrub, must be added, unless the plant is a climber, when A/car 

 is used, or it is small and herbaceous when Bumput is added. 

 There are several Malay words which appear to have special 

 meanings when applied to plant-names. Jantan (male) appears 

 usually to mean that the fruit is less abundant or conspicuous 

 in the species than it is in some other which is qualified by the 

 name Betina. Gajah (elephant) conveys the idea of large. 

 Tikus or Tupai, (mouse or squirrel) small. Hantu (ghost) 

 corresponds to our word "false" as applied to plant names. 

 Hutan signifies wild, as opposed to cultivated. Antan, a word 

 sometimes used, I have been unable to get any meaning for, 

 though there is a word spelt in the same way which signifies 

 a pestle : as applied to plants it seems to bear the same mean- 

 ing as " false." 



Till we know more of the Malay and allied languages 

 it would be premature to form any deduction as to the origin 

 of many of the plant-names, or their primitive meaning. Some 

 it is true, like Nyur (cocoanut), Nanas (pine apple), Nona (cus- 

 tard apple), have evidently accompanied the plants from afar 

 and have been introduced with them, and in some cases may 

 possibly throw light on the original home of some of the rather 

 numerous cultivated plants not known to be wild anywhere, 

 and whose origin is not yet known. Other names have evi- 

 dent reference to the various properties or the appearance of 

 the plant. 



This list must be considered only a preliminary one which, 

 it may be hoped, will be considerably augmented as our know- 

 ledge of things Malayan increases. 



