Points of the Compass in Brunei Malay. 
By J. C. Moulton, m.a., b. sc. (Oxon.). 
Director of the Baffles Museum and TAhrary, Singapore. 
Some seven years ago I made a note of the Malay words used 
for the points of the compass by Brunei Malays. In Sarawak the 
ordinary dictionary words are used, but in Brunei they have a 
slightly different system. A curious feature of it is that in nearly 
every instance the points of the compass are moved round one place, 
either “upwards” or “downwards:” thus utara, “North” in or- 
dinary Malay, is “North East” in Brunei Malay, while selatan, 
“ South,” becomes “ South East ” in Brunei Malay. The follow- 
ing table shows the two systems : — 
Dictionary and Sarawak Brunei 
Malay Malay 
Utara . . . . . . Iraga 
North 
North East 
East 
South East 
South 
South West 
West 
North West 
Timor laut 
Timor 
Tenggara 
Selatan 
Barat daya 
Barat 
Barat laut 
Utara 
Timor 
Selatan 
Barat daya 
Barat tapat 
Barat laut 
Angin laut 
It will be seen that the two systems agree on one word only, 
viz. timor for “ East.” The four words for South, South 
West, West and North West are all moved round one place in one 
direction, while utara for North is moved one place in the opposite 
direction. I can offer no suggestion as to the reason for this rather 
curious difference in the two systems, and. I only call attention to 
it in the hope that someone else may be able to throw some light 
on it. 
For “ North” the Bruneis introduce a new word I rag a (some- 
times Uraga ), for which I have been unable to find any parallel 
or possible derivation in other Malayan dialects. 
The Brunei use of barat tapat for South-West is interesting 
in view of the fact that tapat means literally “due,” “exact;” 
thus barat is “West,” and barat tapat “due West” in ordinary 
Malay. 
On the coast of Northern Sarawak both systems are known. 
In that part of Borneo there must be many instances of Sarawak 
and Brunei Malays working together in the same ships and one 
would imagine that some confusion must arise over the similarity 
of the two systems, which however differ from one another in such 
important details. 
Messrs. C. I). Adams and F. H. Kortright, of the Sarawak 
Civil Service have been kind enough to verify the accuracy of my 
notes from Brunei Malays in their districts (Baram and Miri). I 
have also received independent confirmation from Mr. W. H. Lee- 
Warner who made a note of the Brunei system -when he was Assis- 
tant Resident in that District. 
Jour. Straits Branch R. A. Soc., No. 83, 1921. 
