Sungai itu the (i.e. yonder) river. Sungai ini the (i.e. this here) river. Ikan itu busok the (i.e. yon particular) fish is rotten.
(b) In a few contexts and in honorifics the word yang is used without an antecedent and has the force of a definite article. In honorifics it corresponds to our idiom ‘his.’
Yang merah jadi the red will do; sahaya suka yang tinggi I like the tall one; yang chapek datang bĕrtongkat the lame came on crutches; yang běrhormat tuan Rĕsident the Honourable the Resident, his Honour the Resident.
(c) Si- is applied to persons in familiar or contemptuous address and to animals with affection or superstitious respect. Often it may be translated ‘Mr.’ Prefixed to proper names, it corresponds to the vulgarisms ‘our,’ ‘old.’
Si-mati the deceased; si-bodoh the fool, a fool; si-anu Mr. So and So; si-chěrdek Mr. Wiseman; si-běruang Mr. Bear; si-Ali Master Ali, ‘old’ Ali. Datang si-pěngail Up came the fisherman. Si-bodoh kěna tipu A (or the) fool gets cheated. Mana hilang si-Měriam? Where has ‘our’ Mary vanished? Si-chělaka itu The rascal there.
(d) The numeral satu, sa- one in some contexts corresponds to an indefinite article.
Pada satu masa Once upon a time. Pada satu hari On a (certain) day. Ada-lah sa-orang Kěling There was a Tamil. Ada satu těmpat There is a place. Ini-lah satu pasu yang chantek Now this is a vase which is pretty.
THE NOUN.
The Malay noun undergoes no inflection to denote gender, number or case.
I. Gender is defined by placing the words laki-laki male and pĕrěmpuan female after nouns denoting persons and jantan male and bětina female after nouns denoting animals and coarsely after nouns denoting persons.
Budak pěrěmpuan girl; anak laki-laki, anak jantan boy; orang bětina female person; lěmbu jantan bull; kuching bětina she-cat; kuching jantan tom cat.
