Malaysia

name

Etymology: Etymology tree Malay Melayuder. English Malay Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -iader. English -ia English Malaysia Affixation of Malay + -sia (alternative form of -ia), coined by British geographers in the 19th century as one of several terms used to refer to the Malay Archipelago, can be translated as "land of the Malays". A popular folk etymology holds that the country name was formed by adding ⟨-si-⟩ to Malaya, short for the former Federation of Malaya, to honour the inclusion of Singapore, Sarawak and North Borneo (Sabah) when the country was formed.

1. A country in Southeast Asia. Capital: Kuala Lumpur.
2. The Malay Archipelago.

   “For the purpose of topographical description, Malaysia may be divided into six groups of islands, namely — 1. Sumatra, and the smaller islands adjacent ; 2. The long chain of islands which extends east and west from the Strait of Sunda to New Guinea, including Java, Madura, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Comobo, Flares, Jindana or Sandelwood, Adenar, Solor, Lomblem, Pantar, Ombay, Timor, Semao, Rotte, Savu, Cambi, Wetter, Serwatty, Babba, Timorlaut, &c. ; 3. The Banda and Molucca Islands ; 4. Celebes and the smaller adjacent islands; 5. Borneo and adjacent islands; 6. The Philippine Islands.”