pendatang

Malay

Etymology

Affixed peng- +‎ datang.

Pronunciation

• (schwa-variety, Baku, Riau-Lingga) IPA^(key): /pənˈdataŋ/ [pənˈda.t̪aŋ]
• Rhymes: -ataŋ, -taŋ, -aŋ
• Hyphenation: pen‧da‧tang

Noun

pendatang (Jawi spelling ڤنداتڠ, plural pendatang-pendatang or pendatang²)

1. an immigrant from any other country.
2. (derogatory, offensive, ethnic slur) a Malaysian citizen of Chinese or Indian descent.

Usage notes

The word itself is not offensive when mentioning about immigrants from any country. However, it is only offensive when it is directed towards Malaysian citizens of ethnic Chinese or Indian descent, as it implies that they have no place or rights in the country.

Derived terms

Compounds

• pendatang haram (“illegal immigrant”)
• pendatang tanpa izin (“illegal immigrant”)
• pentadang asing tapan izin (“illegal immigrant”)

Further reading

• "pendatang" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017