Top 10 Portuguese Loanwords in Malay and Indonesian Language
Both the Malay language (Bahasa Melayu) and Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) are closely related because they are both Austronesian languages. The Indonesian language is essentially a standardized form of Malay, while Bahasa Melayu is a variant of Malay that serves as the national language of Malaysia.Although the two languages appear similar, there are notable differences, especially due to their colonial histories. Indonesia was a Dutch colony, whereas Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore were under British rule. This colonial history means that Bahasa Indonesia has borrowed many words from Dutch, while Malay has borrowed extensively from English. This has contributed to the linguistic differences between the two languages.
However, they share a notable similarity when it comes to Portuguese influence. Portuguese is the official language of Portugal and Brazil, and some Portuguese words have been absorbed into the vocabularies of both languages. This is due to Portuguese trade in the region, particularly in the Moluccas (or Spice Islands), as well as their control of Malacca.
Historically, parts of the Indonesian archipelago were under Portuguese influence before the Dutch took over after defeating the Portuguese in battle. However, Indonesia as a whole was never a Portuguese colony. Portuguese control was limited to certain areas, such as Malacca and parts of the Moluccas. Additionally, only the eastern half of Timor Island (modern-day Timor-Leste) remained under Portuguese rule for centuries.
As a result, Portuguese words have made their way into the Malay language, though not as extensively as English and Dutch loanwords.
This list focuses on Portuguese words that are used in Malay and Indonesian. Some of these words are specific to one language variant, while the other variant may use a different term.

Both of the words mean Christmas. The word is mainly used in Indonesian as a term for Christmas. In Malay, the language sometimes uses that word for the greeting "Selamat Hari Natal," which means Merry Christmas. However, Malay more commonly uses the word "Krismas," derived from the English word.

Both words mean cheese. Both Indonesian and Malay use the term, except that the 'j' is pronounced as the English 'J' instead of the "zh" sound found in the word "pleasure."

By its name, the word means "party." It shares a cognate with the Spanish word "Fiesta" and the English word "feast." Both variants use the term to describe a party.

The Indonesian term is "lemari," while the Malay term is "almari." Both words come from the Portuguese "armário," which means cupboard or closet. They have the same meaning in both languages.

All three languages use the word bola for ball. It is derived from a Portuguese word of the same name.

The word "sepatu" means shoes in the Indonesian language and shares a cognate with the Spanish word "zapato." However, Malay uses the term "kasut" instead.

Both the Indonesian and Malay languages use a word for "shirt" that originates from the Portuguese word "camisa." It shares a cognate with the Spanish word "camisa."

Both the Indonesian and Malay languages use a word for "table" that originates from the Portuguese word "mesa." It shares a cognate with the Spanish word "mesa."

