l   

lacking, less than

Although it is tempting to propose a reconstruction for this set of terms, this is one of the most widely distributed Malay loanwords in island Southeast Asia, having spread to many coastal languages of Borneo, and on into the Philippines, presumably in a trading context in which it may have played an especially prominent role. Dempwolff (1938) posited *kuraŋ ‘shortage; too little’.

lake

Dempwolff (1938) marked this as a Sanskrit loan, citing it only to illustrate the regularlity of sound correspondences. However, the final glottal stop in Tagalog talágaɁ is irregular, and shows it to be a loanword. In addition, the range of languages over which this form is found supports the suspicion that many other comparisons which are confined to Malay and a few languages that are known to have borrowed from it are in fact loan distributions through the medium of Malay.

lame, crippled

I am unable to find Tagalog liŋig in any modern dictionary of the language. The resemblance of the Malay and Javanese forms, as with hundreds of others, is best regarded as a product of borrowing. Dempwolff (1938) reconstructed Uraustronesisch *leŋeR ‘lame, crippled’.

lame:   crippled, lame

Probably a Bisayan loan in Agutaynen.

lament:   bewail, lament

lamp

Borrowed, ultimately from Persian.

lance

Borrowing from Malay. Dempwolff (1938) reconstructed *kuzu(r) ‘name of a lance’.

land turtle:   tortoise, land turtle

Borrowing from Malay, where it evidently replaced PAn *qaCipa. However, this explanation assumes that borrowing took place in both Lampung and Sundanese before the distinctive sound change *R > y (from *kuRa). Somewhat enigmatically, Dempwolff (1938) reconstructed *ku(r)a ‘milt, spleen, land turtle’, combining two very distinct senses in a single gloss.

large:   big, large

Borrowing from Malay.

large pot or basin

Borrowing from Malay. Based on this comparison Dempwolff (1938) proposed Uraustronesisch *pasu ‘vessel for drawing water’ (Schöpfgefäss).

launch:   motorboat, launch

Borrowing of Spanish lancha ‘launch; rowing boat’.

lavatory

From Spanish lavabo ‘wash-stand, lavatory’.

law

lazy, idle

The Casiguran Dumagat form is assumed to be a loan from Tagalog or Bikol.

leader

Borrowing, ultimately from Sanskrit.

leak

Borrowing from Malay.

leaning, inclination, predilection

Borrowing from Tagalog into Itbayaten.

learned knowledgeable

Borrowing from Malay, ultimately from Arabic.

left over

Borrowing from Malay. Dempwolff (1938) reconstructed ‘Uraustronesisch’ *tiŋgal ‘be left over’ (übrigbleiben).

leprosy:   maimed (as by leprosy)

Borrowing from Malay. Dempwolff (1938) reconstructed *ku(dD)uŋ ‘leprosy’.

less than:   lacking, less than

Although it is tempting to propose a reconstruction for this set of terms, this is one of the most widely distributed Malay loanwords in island Southeast Asia, having spread to many coastal languages of Borneo, and on into the Philippines, presumably in a trading context in which it may have played an especially prominent role. Dempwolff (1938) posited *kuraŋ ‘shortage; too little’.

lets go!:   come on!, lets go!

Most of the forms cited here, including those in Tagalog, Ngaju Dayak, Gorontalo, Bimanese, and Manggarai, appear to be loans from Malay.

lie, deceive

Borrowing from Malay.

lie, deceive

Borrowing from Malay.

lie above

The western Indonesian forms appear to be loanwords from Malay, and the resemblance of the Tagalog word to these is best attributed to chance. Dempwolff (1938) reconstructed ‘Uraustronesisch’ *tinDiq ‘lie on top of, be superimposed’ (obenliegen).

lie prone

Borrowing from Central Philippine languages (probably Tagalog) into Kapampangan.

lift, raise

From Spanish alzar ‘to raise, lift, build’.

light reddish brown (of horses):   sorrel, light reddish brown (of horses)

Borrowing of Spanish alazán ‘sorrel (of horses)’.

line:   row, line

A late innovation in western Indonesia, borrowed from Malay into Makasarese, Rembong, Kei and many other languages.

line:   stroke, dash, line

Borrowing of Spanish raya ‘stroke, dash, line’.

line:   file, line, row

From Spanish fila ‘row, line’.

linen, flax

From Spanish lino ‘flax, linen’.

lion

Borrowing of Spanish leon ‘lion’.

liquor:   alcohol, distilled liquor

Borrowing, ultimately from Arabic. Dempwolff treated this form as native, but Jones (1978) regards it as a borrowing of Arabic ʔaraq 'strong drink'. This interpretation is supported by the initial consonant of Wolio ʔara 'arrack, brandy (made from sago juice, or the nectar of nipah-palm blossom)', and by numerous irregularities in the sound correspondences, although the appearance of forms of the word in Old Javanese and Malagasy is in need of further study. Such Philippine languages as Casiguran Dumagat, Kapampangan, Hanunóo, and Aklanon appear to have acquired the word through TAGA, but Ilokano and Bikol evidently acquired it directly from speakers of Malay. Throughout much of eastern Indonesia the word appears to have been borrowed through the mediation of Malay, and the same may be true of Chamorro arak, although Ilokano árak is another plausible source.

This term is defined more by the process of distillation, which marks it off from native forms of brewing liquors by simple fermentation, than by any distinctive ingredient. Its wide distribution and integration into the morphological system of some languages shows how easily loanwords can take on the characteristics of native forms. Somewhat ironically, Old Javanese arak must have been borrowed during the earliest period of Islamization, as it is one of the few Arabic loans in the Old Javanese material.

lock:   bolt lock

Also Toba Batak hinsu (< met.) ‘closed, locked’. Borrowing from Malay. Dempwolff (1938) posited *kunci ‘lock (plug)’.

loincloth

Almost certainly a loan distribution starting from Javanese. Dempwolff (1938) proposed ‘Original Austronesian’ *sabuk ‘loincloth’, but PWMP *bahaR is a far better-supported reconstruction for this meaning.

longing, yearning

Borrowing from Malay. Dempwolff (1938) reconstructed *kenaŋ ‘longing, yearning’.

long-tailed macaque

look hard at, gaze, stare at

Borrowing from Javanese, Malay or both.

looks:   face, looks, appearance

Borrowing from Malay.

loose

lose (in a business transaction)

Borrowing of Malay rugi ‘loss, injury (other than physical); tort’, ultimately from Sanskrit. In Philippine languages this passed through Tagalog, where the initial consonant was changed from /r/ to /l/.

love potion or charm

Apparently a Tagalog loanword outside the Central Philippine languages.

lover, mistress

Probably a Tagalog loan, evidently connected with kabít ‘connected, attached, fastened, united’.

loyal, faithful, devoted

The Botolan Sambal form is assumed to be a Tagalog loan.

luck, fortune

Almost certainly a loan distribution originating from some non-standard dialect or dialects of Malay. Neither Wilkinson (1959) nor Poerwadarminta (1976) gives ukur in this meaning, but Iban ukur suggests that a similar word may be found in Brunei Malay with the meaning in question.”

luck, fortune, fate

Borrowing, ultimately from Sanskrit.

luck:   profit, gain, fortune, luck

Widespread borrowing from Malay.

lumber:   planed lumber

Borrowing of Spanish tabla ‘board, plank; tablet, slab’.

luxury

Borrowing of Spanish lujo ‘luxury’.

lychee fruit

Borrowing from Hokkien.

lye, caustic soda

Borrowing of Spanish lejia ‘lye’.

lyre

Borrowing of Spanish lira ‘lyre’.