Puan, Makcik, Kak - Forms of Address

Kak Liza was sad that she was called 'makcik' by the students. I too would be sad if someone called me a 'makcik' when someone like Anita Sarawak is forever 'Kak Nita'. But that could be because she looks forever young.


source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg9SpsH766A

How I wish I could be forever 'Kak Odi'. Reality check.. I am now being addressed as 'Opah Odi' by Kak Ani's cucu saudara - grandnieces/nephews.

Okayla - what has this got to do with translation and linguistics?

The Malay form of address is pretty complicated and complex to even someone like me.

A simple word like 'you' in an expression like 'You and I will create a blog' has so many choices to be selected:

anda dan saya akan membentuk blog
kamu dan saya akan membentuk blog
tuan/puan dan saya akan membentuk blog
saudara/saudari akan membentuk blog


(Speaking about 'saudari', my first real data on this - someone actually wrote that her/his 'saudari ' is so and so [a female cousin's name was given]. To this person a 'saudara' is only for male cousins, and 'saudari' for female cousins, not realizing the fact that 'saudara' in the context that I wanted referred to a big group of people that are related by blood, marriage, or adoption. But can't blame this person. S/He mite make this generalization from his/her understanding of the language - (i) Tuan: lelaki; Puan: Perempuan (ii) Encik: lelaki; Cik: Perempuan... nasib baik tak Cikgu: lelaki; Cikgi: perempuan.. I know the comedians like to use this)

Cikgu dan saya akan membuat blog
Prof dan saya akan membuat blog
Datin dan saya akan membuat blog

kau dan aku kena buat blog
mak dengan odi kena buat blog
kak long dengan long odi kena buat blog

now we even have this - you dgn i kena buat blog

and the list goes on..


but back to Kak Liza - the students should have addressed her as 'puan' irrespective of whether Kak Liza is single, married, or divorced, as the situation is formal plus the students needed to show a different kind of respect when dealing with someone who is older in a formal situation. Makcik in informal. Yes, it's polite, but...

wah... better write a paper on this la...

how the writer of this post addressed herself to others: odi, radiah, kak odi, long odi, mak long odi, 'cik odi (clip fr makcik), opah odi, aunty odi/radiah - i dislike this just because i prefer makcik - orang melayu la katakan), dr. radiah (only to my students in my emels and written announcements)

for pronouns: saya, i
i very rarely use 'aku' when talking to others, as my atuk, mak, and abah will lada my mulut, so instead of i, it would almost always be 'saya', 'odi' and 'i'

so, how to translate the 'you' in 'ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country' (JFKennedy)

and all the first person and second person pronouns in this video (Martin Luther King)

to Malay


source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk