Francois Valentijn was a Dutch missionary and explorer who spent significant time in the East Indies. His observations, published in his massive work Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën (1724–1726), provide one of the most famous historical testimonials to the prestige of the Malay language.
He essentially argued that if you didn't know Malay in the East, you were considered "uncultured," much like an educated person in Europe would be viewed if they didn't speak French or Latin.
Why Malay Was Compared to Latin and French
During the 16th and 17th centuries, Malay functioned as the lingua franca of Southeast Asia for several key reasons:
- Trade Dominance: Malacca was one of the world's most important trading ports. Merchants from China, India, Arabia, and Europe all met there, and Malay became the "language of the bazaar" (Bazaar Malay) used to conduct business.
- Diplomatic Prestige: High Malay (the literary and courtly version) was used for official correspondence between kings and sultans, from the Moluccas to Persia.
- Simplicity and Adaptability: Unlike many regional languages with complex honorifics or scripts, Malay was relatively easy for foreigners to learn, leading to its rapid spread along maritime routes.
The Parallel with European Languages
To understand Valentijn’s comparison, it helps to look at the roles Latin and French played in his world:
Valentijn famously noted:
"Their language, the Malay, is not only spoken on the coast, but used throughout the whole of the Indies... to such an extent that if one does not understand this language, he is not considered an educated man."
Legacy of the Observation
Valentijn's assessment highlights that before the era of high colonialism, Southeast Asia was a sophisticated, interconnected "Mediterranean of the East." The Malay language didn't just survive; it thrived as a tool of globalization long before the English language took on that role.
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4/1/2026: 10.37 a.m
