MALAYSIA
GLOSSARY:
Ahli: member.
Amat: exceedingly.
Baginda: conqueror.
Balai: hall of audience.
Bendahara: chief minister and commander-in-chief.
Bentara: officer.
Besar: great, high, important.
Bintang: star, usually of an order of chivalry.
Bonda: mother.
Bongsu: youngest (of children).
Che' (pronounced and sometimes mistakenly written as Chik): short for Inche, a polite form of address for untitled Malays.
Che' Engku: children of wives of high rank of the Bendahara family of Pahang and the Temenggong family of Johor.
Che' Muda: junior non-royal wives of a Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan.
Che' Puan Bendahara: principal non-royal wife of a Raja Bendahara of Perak.
Che' Puan Muda: principal non-royal wife of a Raja Muda of Perak.
Che' Wan: children of wives of lesser rank of the Bendahara family of Pahang and the Temenggong family of Johor.
Chik: junior, younger.
Darjah: order of chivalry.
Dato' (Datuk, or more correctly, Datu): grandfather, grandsire. 1) heritable title for great territorial chiefs or magnates. 2) title conferred for life together with the first or second class of an order of chivalry.
Duli Yang Maha Mulia: 'the dust (under the feet) of he who is great and illustrious', a style reserved for rulers of the Malaysian States and equivalent to "Royal Highness".
Duli Yang Maha Mulia Iagi Maha Kuasa Raja Benua Inggeris: the King-Emperor.
Engku: title used in Johor for sayyids, in Perak a style of address used for all important princes (except the three most important, i.e. the Sultan, Raja Muda and Raja Bendahara who are Tuanku).
Engku Puan: queen of Royal birth (Perak).
Gagah: gallant, brave, strong, mighty.
Gahara: Royal consort.
Gelaran: titles.
Hiler (or hilir): downstream, lower reaches of rivers.
Hulu (or ulu): upstream, upper waters of a river, or up-country.
Hulubalang: commander, warlord.
Inche (pronounced and sometimes mistakenly written as Inchik): a polite form of address for untitled Malays.
Iskandar Zulkarnain: "Alexander of the long horns", a euphemism for Alexander the Great.
Jasa: merit.
Johan: champion.
Kebesaran: insignia.
Kechil (pronounced and sometimes mistakenly written as Kechik): small.
Laksamana (laxamana): Admiral.
Long: from the Siamese Luang, used for male members of the Royal family until the late nineteenth century. Also used as a short form for sulung.
Maha Mulia: 'great and illustrious' (of rulers)
Mahkota: crown.
Majlis: council.
Mentri: Minister of State.
Muda: young, small.
Mulia: illustrious, noble (sanskrit).
Nai: from the Siamese Nang, used for female members of the Royal family until the late nineteenth century.
Nama: renown, fame, name.
Negri (or negeri): state.
Paduka: excellence, majesty.
Pahlawan: hero, warrior.
Pangkat: rank.
Panglima: warrior, commander
Perdana Mentri: Chief Minister.
Perempuan: wife.
Permaisura: a king of lower rank than his consort (sanskrit).
Permaisuri: a queen of lower rank than her husband (sanskrit).
Pingat: medal.
Putra (or putera): royal son, prince.
Putri (or puteri): royal daughter, princess.
Raja: prince or princess, the title of the male and female descendants of a
Sultan in the male line in some states, such as, Perak.
Raja Muda: young prince, the usual title for the Heir Apparent of a Malay principality.
Raja Tua: senior Prince.
Setia: loyal, faithful.
Sharifa: the title of a female descendant of the profit.
Sulung: eldest (of children).
Sultan: ruler.
Suri: royal queen.
Suriya: the sun.
Syed: the title of a male descendant of the profit.
Tan Sri: a title granted with the second class of certain orders of chivalry.
Temenggong: minister for war, in charge of defence and policing.
Tengah: middle.
Tengku: title meaning prince or princess. First used as a title ("Tuan Engku Raja") for the children of the Bendahara Sultan of Johor, born after he had ascended the throne in 1699. The title of Raja seems to have dropped from usage in the late eighteenth century, and the style shortened to "Tengku". Later adopted as the usual title for princes and princesses in Trengganu shortly afterwards, in Pahang in 1884, then in Selangor, and finally in Kelantan ca. 1900. Used in Perak as a title for certain nobles ranking below those entitled Raja and in Aceh for the descendants of certain religious dignitaries.
Tengku Ampuan (Tengku Empuan, or Tengku Puan): principal Royal wife of a ruler.
Tengku Besar: principal Prince.
Tengku Mahkota: Crown Prince.
Tengku Puan: female consort of non-Royal birth (Perak).
Tengku Sulong: eldest son of a Prince.
Timbalan: deputy.
Tuan: lord, title reserved for high officials and religious leaders (hajis, kathis and sayyids).
Tuan Yang Terutama (TYT): 'His Excellency', the style of a State Governor.
Tuanku: a form of address sometimes wrongly translated as Highness. Used in Malacca-Johor when addressing a Yam Tuan or Yam Tuan Muda; in Perak for the Raja Muda or Raja Bendahara when acting for the Sultan; in Negri Sembilan, Perlis and other states for the ruler; in Minangkabau, a title for ruling princes; and in Aceh as a title for all male members of the royal house.
Tun: old Malay hereditary title, used by the Bendahara families of Johor and Perak, now borne by holders of high orders of merit.
Tunku: the usual title for princes in Johor, Negri Sembilan and Tampin.
Ungku: title used in Johor for members of the Royal House, descended from collateral lines.
Utama: main, chief, principal, special.
Waris: heir.
Waris negri: 'heirs of the state', members of a Royal dynasty eligible to succeed as ruler.
Yam Tuan: short form of Yang di-Pertuan.
Yang Amat Arif (YAA): the style enjoyed by the serving Chief Justice of Malaysia, the President of the Malaysian Court of Appeal, the Chief Judge of the High Court of Malaya and the Chief Judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak.
Yang Amat Berhormat (YAB): 'he who is most honoured', a style equivalent to 'The Right Honourable' and enjoyed by the serving Federal Prime Minister, State Chief Ministers and those enjoying the title of Tun and serving as Members of the Federal Parliament or State Assemblies.
Yang Amat Dihormarti: 'he who is most honourable'.
Yang Amat Mulia (YAM): 'he who is most illustrious', a style enjoyed by the younger sons and daughters of a ruler.
Yang Arif (YA): the style of a serving judge.
Yang Berbahagia (Y.Bgia.): 'he who is most fortunate', a style enjoyed by recipients of titles in various orders of merit or chivalry.
Yang Berhormat (YB): 'he who is honoured', a style equivalent to 'The Honourable' and enjoyed by Members of the Federal Parliament, State Assemblies and of the First Class of the Order of the Crown of Johor (SPMJ).
Yang Berhormat Mulia (YBM): 'he who is honoured and illustrious', a style enjoyed by Princes who are also Members of the Federal Parliament or State Assemblies
Yang Maha Mulia: 'he who is great and illustrious', a style previously reserved for rulers of the Malay States and equated to "Highness" before 1963, now superseded by Duli Yang Maha Mulia (see above).
Yang Mulia (YM): 'he who is illustrious', equivalent to 'The Noble' a style enjoyed by the male line Royal descendants of the son of a ruler.
Yang Teramat Mulia (YTM): 'he who is highly illustrious', a style enjoyed by the Heir Apparent, certain senior princes holding high traditional titles and their Royal consorts, now equated to "Highness".
Yang di-Pertuan: 'he who is lord', applied only to rulers enjoying sovereign powers.
Yang di-Pertuan Besar: 'he who is great lord', usually used when sovereignty is shared to some degree between a sovereign and a viceroy or deputy rulers, but always used to signify the sovereign himself.
Yang di-Pertuan Kechil: 'he who is little lord', usually used when sovereignty is shared to some degree between a sovereign and a viceroy or deputy rulers, but always used for the most junior ruler.
Yang di-Pertuan Muda: 'he who is young lord', usually used when sovereignty is shared to some degree between a sovereign and a viceroy or deputy rulers, but always used for the viceroy or second most important ruler.