Brunei English

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Brunei English (similar and related to British English) is a regional dialect of English that is widely spoken in Brunei Darussalam, even though the national language is Malay. Although the lingua franca in the country is generally the local dialect of Malay, [1] all educated people are proficient in English, as it has been the medium of instruction from the fourth year of primary school since 1985. [2]

Contents

There are various features that make Brunei English distinct: for pronunciation, the sound at the start of a word such as three is often [ t ] rather than [ θ ], and there is usually a full vowel rather than [ ə ] in function words such as as, than, and of; for grammar, furnitures and jewelleries are treated as plural nouns, and there is variable use of the third-person −s suffix on present-tense verbs; and for lexis, many words are borrowed from Malay to reflect local customs, including titah (a speech by the Sultan) and tudung (a head scarf). Some of these features are shared with other varieties of Southeast Asian English, but others make Brunei English a distinct variety.

Colloquial portmanteau words for Brunei English are 'Brulish' (recorded from 2003) and 'Brunglish' (recorded from 2007). [3]

History and education

Brunei was a British protectorate from 1888 until it became independent in 1984, when it joined ASEAN. [4] [5] Not surprisingly, English became widely used, even though Brunei Malay [6] (a dialect of Malay that is substantially different from Standard Malay [7] ) continues to be the main language that is spoken. [8]

In 1985, the Bilingual Education Policy was implemented, with Malay as the medium of instruction for the first three years of primary school, and then English as the medium of instruction for most subjects from the fourth year of primary school on. [9] In 1993, history switched from being English-medium to being Malay-medium. [10]

In January 2009, a new education policy was implemented. It is termed SPN21 (Sistem Pendidikan Negara – Abad 21, 'National Education System for the 21st Century'). In this new system, mathematics and science are taught in English from the start of primary school. [11] [12]

Clearly, English is well-established in Brunei, though it does not seem to be challenging the position of Malay. Rather more threatened are the minority languages such as Dusun (Dusun Brunei), Tutong and Murut (Lun Bawang), which seem to be getting squeezed out by the two dominant languages, [13] though recent research in Temburong District suggests that Murut is surviving better than the other two. [14]

Variation

There is, of course, substantial variation in the English spoken in Brunei. Two sources of variation are mentioned here: education and ethnicity.

There is rather a wide educational divide. Those who attend private schools and the best government schools usually achieve an excellent standard in English; but those who go to less fashionable schools often end up with only rudimentary skills in English. [15]

There is also some variation in Brunei English arising from the ethnicity of speakers. Research undertaken in 2011 showed that undergraduates at the University of Brunei Darussalam (UBD) could identify whether a fellow undergraduate was Malay or Chinese on the basis of 10 seconds of spoken English with an accuracy of about 74%, which suggests that the English pronunciation of the two ethnic groups differs to some extent. [16]

Pronunciation

Some of the salient features of the pronunciation of English in Brunei are:

One current change that seems to be taking place is that Brunei English is becoming more rhotic, partly influenced by American English and also by the rhoticity of the Malay spoken in Brunei, [22] [23] although English in neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore remains mostly non-rhotic.

Grammar

A few of the salient features of Brunei English grammar are:

Lexis

There is widespread borrowing of words from Malay into Brunei English. These include titah (a speech by the Sultan), sabda (a speech by another member of the royal family), tudung (a head-dress worn by women) and puasa ('fasting'). [29] Words for local food are often borrowed from Malay, such as kuih ('a local cake'), as in 'A variety of Malay kuih and sliced fruits will also be served'. [30]

Use of Malay terms in the English spoken in Brunei can sometimes lead to loss of intelligibility, such as Ugama Schools ('religious schools') being misunderstood as 'government schools' by someone from the Maldives. [31]

Many initialisms are found, including: [32]

Acronyms (where the letters create a word) are not so common, but we find: [33]

There are some idiosyncratic expressions in Brunei English, such as dry season to refer to the period just before payday when people are short of money, as in 'I cannot pay now: dry season bah!' [34]

Mixing

Mixing of English and Malay is widespread in informal discourse in Brunei. An investigation of the language used in an English-medium discussion forum showed that nearly half of all postings were partly or completely in Malay. [35] In data involving a map task, where one participant has to guide a second participant along a route, a speaker said: [36]

uh so jalan saja uh continue macam ada a bit cornering

with four words of Malay in the English utterance: jalan (walk), saja (just), macam (like) and ada (there is). This utterance means 'just go and continue, like there's a bit of cornering'.

Conclusion

It is hard to know whether English in Brunei is following an established pattern and emerging as a distinct variety of English or not. [37] Many of the trends found, including the use of plural nouns such as equipments and the variable use of the 3rd person singular −s suffix on verbs, seem to be similar to the ways English is used as a lingua franca around the world. [38] Furthermore, the avoidance of vowel reduction in unstressed syllables is consistent with the way English is spoken elsewhere in South-East Asia. [39] So Brunei English may be contributing to the ways that English is evolving around the world today. [40]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brunei</span> Country in Southeast Asia

Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with its territory bifurcated by the Sarawak district of Limbang. Brunei is the only sovereign state entirely on Borneo; the remainder of the island is divided between its multi-landmass neighbours of Malaysia and Indonesia. As of 2023, the country had a population of 455,858, of whom approximately 180,000 resided in the capital and largest city of Bandar Seri Begawan. Its official language is Malay and Islam is the state religion of the country, although other religions are nominally tolerated. The government of Brunei is a constitutional absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan, and it implements a fusion of English common law and jurisprudence inspired by Islam, including sharia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malay language</span> Austronesian language of Southeast Asia

Malay is an Austronesian language that is an official language of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, and that is also spoken in East Timor and parts of Thailand. Altogether, it is spoken by 290 million people across Maritime Southeast Asia.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad Jamalul Alam II</span> Sultan of Brunei from 1906 to 1924

Muhammad Jamalul Alam II was the 26th Sultan of Brunei from 1906 until his death in 1924. His reign aimed to encourage new developments in agriculture, medicine, and education. Additionally, he also encouraged learning Islam and built a mosque despite the country's lack of revenue. During World War II, the mosque was destroyed due to the intense shelling and fighting within the towns in Brunei. His reign also oversaw Brunei during its most impoverished state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kedayan</span> Ethnic group in Borneo

The Kedayan are an ethnic group residing in Brunei, Federal Territory of Labuan, southwest of Sabah, and north of Sarawak on the island of Borneo. According to the Language and Literature Bureau of Brunei, the Kedayan language is spoken by about 30,000 people in Brunei, and it has been claimed that there are a further 46,500 speakers in Sabah and 37,000 in Sarawak. In Sabah, the Kedayan mainly live in the southern districts of Sipitang and Beaufort, where they are counted as a part of the local Malay populace. Whilst in Sarawak, the Kedayans mostly reside in the towns of Lawas, Limbang and Miri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Brunei</span>

The culture of Brunei is strongly influenced by Malay culture and Islam. The culture is also influenced by the demographic makeup of the country: more than two-thirds of the population are Malay, and the remainder consists of Chinese, Indians and indigenous groups such as Muruts, Bisaya Brunei, Brunei Dusun and Kedayans. While Standard Malay is the official language of Brunei, languages such as Brunei Malay and English are more commonly spoken.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brunei Malay</span> Language spoken in parts of Southeast Asia

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References

  1. ↑ Clynes, Adrian (2014). "Brunei Malay: An Overview". In Sercombe, Peter; Boutin, Michael; Clynes, Adrian (eds.). Advances in Research on Linguistic and Cultural Practices in Borneo. Phillips, ME: Borneo Research Council. pp. 153–200. ISBN   978-1-929900-18-3.
  2. ↑ McLellan, James; Noor Azam Haji-Othman; Deterding, David (2016). "The Language Situation in Brunei Darussalam". In Noor Azam Haji-Othman; McLellan, James; Deterding, David (eds.). The Use and Status of Language in Brunei Darussalam: A Kingdom of Unexpected Linguistic Diversity. Singapore: Springer. pp. 9–16. doi:10.1007/978-981-10-0853-5_2. ISBN   978-981-10-0851-1.
  3. ↑ Lambert, James (2018). "A Multitude of 'lishes': The Nomenclature of Hybridity". English World-Wide. 39 (1): 1–33. doi:10.1075/eww.00001.lam.
  4. ↑ Saunders, Graham (1994). A History of Brunei. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  5. ↑ Hussainmiya, B. A. (1995). Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III: The Making of Brunei Darussalam. Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press. ISBN   967-65-3106-5.
  6. ↑ Deterding, David; Ishamina Athirah (2017). "Brunei Malay". Journal of the International Phonetic Association. 47 (1): 99–108. doi:10.1017/S0025100316000189.
  7. ↑ Clynes, Adrian; Deterding, David (2011). "Standard Malay (Brunei)". Journal of the International Phonetic Association. 41 (2): 259–268. doi:10.1017/S002510031100017X. Archived 2015-10-15 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ Martin, Peter W.; Poedjoesoedarmo, Gloria (1996). "An Overview of the Language Situation in Brunei Darussalam". In Martin, Peter W.; Ożóg, Conrad; Poedjoesoedarmo, Gloria (eds.). Language Use and Language Change in Brunei Darussalam. Athens, OH: Ohio University Center for International Studies. pp. 1–23. ISBN   0-89680-193-4.
  9. ↑ Jones, Gary M. (1996). "The Brunei Education Policy in Brunei Darussalam". In Martin, Peter W.; Ożóg, Conrad; Poedjoesoedarmo, Gloria (eds.). Language Use and Language Change in Brunei Darussalam. Athens, OH: Ohio University Center for International Studies. pp. 123–0132. ISBN   0-89680-193-4.
  10. ↑ Gunn, Geoffrey C. (1997). Language, Power, & Ideology in Brunei Darussalam. Athens, OH: Ohio University Center for International Studies. p. 155. ISBN   9780896801929.
  11. ↑ Jones, Gary M. (2012). "Language Planning in its Historical Context in Brunei Darussalam". In Low, Ee Ling; Azirah Hashim (eds.). English in Southeast Asia: Features, Policy and Language in Use. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. pp. 175–187. ISBN   978-90-272-4902-9.
  12. ↑ Jones, Gary M. (2016). "Changing Patterns of Education in Brunei: How Past Plans have Shaped Future Trends". In Noor Azam Haji-Othman; McLellan, James; Deterding, David (eds.). The Use and Status of Language in Brunei Darussalam: A Kingdom of Unexpected Linguistic Diversity. Singapore: Springer. pp. 267–278. doi:10.1007/978-981-10-0853-5_17. ISBN   978-981-10-0851-1.
  13. ↑ Noor Azam Haji-Othman (2012). "It's not Always English: 'Duelling Aunties' in Brunei Darussalam". In Rapatahana, Vaughan; Bunce, Pauline (eds.). English Language as Hydra. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters. pp. 175–190. ISBN   9781847697509.
  14. ↑ Coluzzi, Paolo (2010). "Endangered Languages in Borneo: A Survey among the Iban and Murut (Lun Bawang) in Temburong, Brunei". Oceanic Linguistics. 49 (1): 119–143. doi:10.1353/ol.0.0063.
  15. ↑ Wood, Alistair; Henry, Alex; Malai Ayla Hj Abd; Clynes, Adrian (2011). "English in Brunei: 'She speaks excellent English' – 'No he doesn't'". In Zhang, Larry J; Rubdy, Rani; Alsagoff, Lubna (eds.). Asian Englishes: Changing Perspectives in a Globalized World. Singapore: Pearson. pp. 52–66. ISBN   978-981-06-8853-0.
  16. ↑ Ishamina Athirah (2011). "Identification of Bruneian Ethnic Groups from their English Pronunciation" (PDF). Southeast Asia. 11: 37–45.
  17. ↑ Mossop, Jonathan (1996). "Some Phonological Features of Brunei English". In Martin, Peter W.; Ożóg, Conrad; Poedjoesoedarmo, Gloria (eds.). Language Use and Language Change in Brunei Darussalam. Athens, OH: Ohio University Center for International Studies. pp. 189–208. ISBN   0-89680-193-4.
  18. ↑ Deterding, David; Salbrina Sharbawi (2013). Brunei English: A New Variety in a Multilingual Society. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 40. ISBN   978-94-007-6346-3.
  19. ↑ Salbrina Sharbawi (2006). "The Vowels of Brunei English: An Acoustic Investigation". English World-Wide. 27: 247–264. doi:10.1075/eww.27.3.03sha.
  20. ↑ Deterding, David; Salbrina Sharbawi (2013). Brunei English: A New Variety in a Multilingual Society. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 38. ISBN   978-94-007-6346-3.
  21. ↑ Deterding, David; Salbrina Sharbawi (2013). Brunei English: A New Variety in a Multilingual Society. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 41. ISBN   978-94-007-6346-3.
  22. ↑ Salbrina Sharbawi; Deterding, David (2010). "Rhoticity in Brunei English". English World-Wide. 31 (2): 121–137. doi:10.1075/eww.31.2.01sha.
  23. ↑ Nur Raihan Mohamad (2017). "Rhoticity in Brunei English : A Diachronic Approach". Southeast Asia. 17: 1–7.
  24. ↑ Deterding, David; Salbrina Sharbawi (2013). Brunei English: A New Variety in a Multilingual Society. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 53. ISBN   978-94-007-6346-3.
  25. ↑ Mesthrie, Rajend; Bhatt, Rakesh M. (2008). World Englishes: The Study of Linguistic Varieties. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 53. ISBN   978-0-521-79733-7.
  26. ↑ Deterding, David; Salbrina Sharbawi (2013). Brunei English: A New Variety in a Multilingual Society. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 54. ISBN   978-94-007-6346-3.
  27. ↑ Deterding, David; Salbrina Sharbawi (2013). Brunei English: A New Variety in a Multilingual Society. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 56. ISBN   978-94-007-6346-3.
  28. ↑ Ho, Debbie G. E. (2009). "Exponents of Politeness in Brunei English". World Englishes. 28: 35–51. doi:10.1111/j.1467-971X.2008.01568.x.
  29. ↑ Deterding, David; Salbrina Sharbawi (2013). Brunei English: A New Variety in a Multilingual Society. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 94. ISBN   978-94-007-6346-3.
  30. ↑ McLellan, James; Noor Azam Haji-Othman (2012). "Brunei English". In Low, Ee Ling; Azirah Hashim (eds.). English in Southeast Asia: Features, Policy and Language Use. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. pp. 75–90. ISBN   978-90-272-4902-9.
  31. ↑ Ishamina Athirah; Deterding, David (2017). "English Medium Education in a University in Brunei Darussalam: Code-switching and Intelligibility". In Fenton-Smith, Ben; Humphreys, Pamela; Walkinshaw, Ian (eds.). English Medium Instruction in Higher Education in Asia-Pacific. Singapore: Springer. pp. 281–297. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-51976-0_15. ISBN   978-3-319-51974-6.
  32. ↑ Deterding, David; Salbrina Sharbawi (2013). Brunei English: A New Variety in a Multilingual Society. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 101. ISBN   978-94-007-6346-3.
  33. ↑ Deterding, David; Salbrina Sharbawi (2013). Brunei English: A New Variety in a Multilingual Society. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 99. ISBN   978-94-007-6346-3.
  34. ↑ McLellan, James; Noor Azam Haji-Othman (2012). "Brunei English". In Low, Ee Ling; Azirah Hashim (eds.). English in Southeast Asia: Features, Policy and Language Use. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. pp. 75–90. ISBN   978-90-272-4902-9.
  35. ↑ McLellan, James (2021). "Mixed Codes or Varieties of English?". In Kirkpatrick, Andy (ed.). The Routledge Handbook of World Englishes (2nd ed.). London: Routledge. pp. 422–435. ISBN   9780367144395.
  36. ↑ Siti Faahirah Binti Haji Rozaimee (2016). "Code-Switching in Brunei: Evidence from the Map Task" (PDF). South East Asia. 16: 65–81.
  37. ↑ Schneider, Edgar W. (2007). Postcolonial English: Varieties around the World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-0-521-53901-2.
  38. ↑ Seidlhofer, Barbara (2011). Understanding English as a Lingua Franca. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-437500-9.
  39. ↑ Deterding, David (2010). "Norms for Pronunciation in Southeast Asia". World Englishes. 29 (3): 364–367. doi:10.1111/j.1467-971X.2010.01660.x.
  40. ↑ Deterding, David (2014). "The Evolution of Brunei English: How it is Contributing to the Development of English in the World". In Buschfeld, Sarah; Hoffmann, Thomas; Huber, Magnus; Kautzsch, Alexander (eds.). The Evolution of Englishes: The Dynamic Model and Beyond. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. pp. 420–433. ISBN   978-90-272-4909-8.
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