| Malaysian Tamil | |
| Nativename: | Tamil: மலேசியத் தமிழ் மொழி |
| Also Known As: | Bahasa Tamil Malaysia |
| States: | Malaysia and Singapore |
| Ethnicity: | Malaysian Indian (Tamil Malaysians) |
| Speakers: | ~3.9 million in Malaysia and Singapore |
| Date: | 2006 – 2010 census |
| Familycolor: | Dravidian |
| Fam2: | Southern |
| Fam3: | Southern I |
| Fam4: | Tamil–Kannada |
| Fam5: | Tamil–Kota |
| Fam6: | Tamil–Toda |
| Fam7: | Tamil–Irula |
| Fam8: | Tamil–Kodava–Urali |
| Fam9: | Tamil–Malayalam |
| Fam10: | Tamiloid |
| Fam11: | Tamil–Paliyan |
| Fam12: | Tamil |
| Ancestor: | Old Tamil |
| Ancestor2: | Middle Tamil |
| Agency: | Malaysian Tamil Language Standardisation Council |
| Isoexception: | dialect |
| Glotto: | mala1467 |
| Glottorefname: | Malaya Tamil |
Malaysian Tamil (Tamil: மலேசியத் தமிழ் மொழி|Malēsiyat Tamiḻ Moḻi), also known as Malaya Tamil, is a local variant of the Tamil language spoken in Malaysia.[1] It is one of the languages of education in Malaysia, along with English, Malay and Mandarin.[2] [3] There are many differences in vocabulary between Malaysian Tamil and Indian Tamil.
An element needed to carry out commercial transactions is a common language understood by all parties involved in early trade. Historians such as J.V. Sebastian, K.T. Thirunavukkarasu, and A.W. Hamilton record that Tamil was the common language of commerce in Malaysia and Indonesia during historical times.The maritime Tamil significance in Sumatran and Malay Peninsula trading continued for centuries and borrowings into Malay from Tamil increased between the 15th and 19th centuries due to their commercial activities. In the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company was obliged to use Tamil as part of its correspondence. In Malacca and other seaports up to the 19th century, Malay terminology pertaining to book-keeping and accountancy was still largely Tamil.
Borrowings into Malay from Tamil (sometimes Sanskritized) include such everyday words as:
| Tamil: அநியாயம் Tamil: aniyāyam | aniaya | persecute, misjustice | |
| Tamil: கடை Tamil: kaṭai | kedai | shop | |
| gadai | pawn | ||
| Tamil: கப்பல் Tamil: kappal | kapal | ship | |
| Tamil: கோட்டம் Tamil: kōṭṭam | kota | city | |
| Tamil: சதை Tamil: catai | sate | satay | |
| Tamil: சுங்கம் Tamil: cuṅkam | cukai | tax | |
| Tamil: சுசி Tamil: cuci | cuci | to clean/wash | |
| Tamil: சும்மா Tamil: cummā | cuma | only/merely | |
| Tamil: சொர்க்கம் Tamil: corkkam | syurga | heaven/paradise | |
| Tamil: சௌத்து Tamil: cauttu | contoh | example | |
| Tamil: நகரம் Tamil: nakaram | negara | city | |
| Tamil: பூமி Tamil: pūmi | bumi | earth | |
| Tamil: மாமா Tamil: māmā | mamak | Tamil Muslim | |
| Tamil: முத்து Tamil: muttu | mutiara | pearl | |
| Tamil: ரகசியம் Tamil: rakaciyam | rahsia | secret | |
| Tamil: ரொட்டி Tamil: roṭṭi | roti | bread | |
| Tamil: வகை Tamil: vakai | bagai | variety/type | |
| Tamil: வர்ணம் Tamil: varṇam | warna | colours |