How Words are Formed? A Case Study of Morphological Integration of Malay Words in Nyonya Cuisine

Abstract

The Malay language plays a vital role in the morphological integration of Baba Malay in Nyonya cuisine, a signature dish of Baba Nyonya (traders who travelled to the Strait of Malacca in the 15th and 17th century from southern China, Fujian and intermarried with locals). The Malay language inspiration in Nyonya cuisine has yet to be investigated systematically. This qualitative study examines the morphological processes in the Malay language that influence the linguistic expansions of the Baba Malay. The study proved that integrating the Malay language helped to expand Nyonya cuisine nationwide. Baba Malay (in Melaka) is more influenced by standard Malay, particularly where the lexicon is concerned. The study grasps morphological integration in Nyonya cuisine, which results in cultural crossbreeding by the movement of the Baba Nyonya into the Malay language, geographical proximity, and political aspects. The study recorded that the Nyonya cuisines are compound nouns and endocentric compounds.