Perak Malay

Perak Malay (Standard Malay: Bahasa Melayu Perak; Jawi script: بهاس ملايو ﭬﻴـراق) is one of the Malay dialects spoken within the state of Perak, Malaysia. Although it is neither the official language nor the standard dialect in the whole state of Perak, its existence which co-exists with other major dialects in the state of Perak still plays an important role in maintaining the identity of Perak. In spite of the fact that there are five main dialects traditionally spoken in Perak, only one of which is intended by the name "Perak Malay". There are subtle phonetic, syntactic and lexical distinctions from other major Malay dialects. Perak Malay can be divided into two sub-dialects, Kuala Kangsar and Perak Tengah, named after the daerah (districts) where they are predominantly spoken.

Classification

Linguistically, the Malay dialects spoken in the state of Perak are diverse. In fact, there is still no definite classification of the type of Malay dialects used in Perak. Ismail Hussein (1973) classified the Malay dialects in Perak into five types segregated into five different areas. While Harun Mat Piah (1983) categorized them into six. Although Asmah Haji Omar (1985) divided the Malay dialects in Perak into five types, the specifications of the division did not coincide with that of Ismail's.

Perak

Perak (Malay pronunciation: [peˈraʔ]; Jawi: ڨيراق‎), one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the fourth largest state in the country. It borders Kedah and the Thai Yala Province to the north; Penang to the northwest; Kelantan and Pahang to the east; Selangor to the south, and the Straits of Malacca to the west.

The state's administrative capital of Ipoh was known historically for tin-mining activities until the price of the metal dropped, severely affecting the state's economy. The royal capital, however remains at Kuala Kangsar, where the palace of the Sultan of Perak is located.

The Arabic honorific of Perak is Darul Ridzuan ("Abode of Grace").

Name

The state's official name is Perak Darul Ridzuan (Jawi: ڨيراق دار الرّضوان), or "Perak, the Abode of Grace". Perak means silver in Malay, which is probably derived from the silvery colour of tin. In the 1890s, Perak, with the richest alluvial deposits of tin in the world was one of the jewels in the crown of the British Empire. However, some say the name comes from the "glimmer of fish in the water" that sparkled like silver. Darul Ridzuan is the state's Arabic honorific, and can mean either "land" or "abode" of grace.

Perak (disambiguation)

Perak is the second-largest state in Peninsular Malaysia.

Perak may also refer to:

Perak (headdress)

A perak is a headdress typically worn by the old aristocracy in the Himalayan Ladakh region of Asia. It is composed of a strap of leather studded with semi-precious stones, such as lapis lazuli and turquoise.

Symbolism

The perak is a symbol among the Ladakh of the rank and economic status of the woman wearing it. Traditionally, the number of front-to-back rows of turquoise signified the status of the wearer: nine rows for the queen of Leh (the Ladakh capital), seven rows for the more modern aristocracy, five for the marvels, and three for the lower ranks.

The jewels themselves are representative of the Ladakh deities, protecting and guiding the wearer through the dangerous human world.

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