Are you Malay? This is a frequently question that I received from human beings when I tell them I am a BABANYONYA. I wonder why until now, there are people out there who still don’t know the history of Malaysia that have this BABANYONYA or it's scientific name Peranakan Community in Malaysia, especially in Melaka and Penang. Have they extinct? The answer is totally no. In fact, we are conquering Malaysia little by little. For those who still not sure which Alien Category are we or from which planet we come from, please refer to the history of this precious community.
BABANYONYA or PERANANKAN is the term used popularly for descendants of early Chinese immigrants to the Nusantara region, including the British Straits Settlements of Singapore, Malacca and Penang, and the Dutch controlled island of Java among other areas, who have partially adopted Malay customs in an effort to be assimilated into the local communities.
The word of PERANAKAN is also used commonly to describe Indonesia Chinese. In both BM & Bahasa Indonesia, PERANAKAN means descendant. BABA is referring to the male descendants and NYONYA is the female. Most PERANAKAN are of Hokkein ancestry, although fair denominations of them are of the Teochew or Cantonese descent. The language of the PERANAKAN, Baba Malay (Bahasa Melayu Baba), is a dialect of the Malay Language which contains many Hokkein works.
The BABANYONYA were partially assimilated into the Malay culture, especially in food, dress and language used, while retaining some of the Chinese traditions and culture, like religion, name, folk medicine and festival celebrations, thereby creating a new kind of mixed culture of their country of origin with local. Most of the Peranakan are not Muslim, but Buddhist and Christians, and have retained the ancestral worship tradition of the Chinese, especially of their wedding ceremony is largely based upon the Chinese tradition.
BABANYONYA or PERANANKAN is the term used popularly for descendants of early Chinese immigrants to the Nusantara region, including the British Straits Settlements of Singapore, Malacca and Penang, and the Dutch controlled island of Java among other areas, who have partially adopted Malay customs in an effort to be assimilated into the local communities.
The word of PERANAKAN is also used commonly to describe Indonesia Chinese. In both BM & Bahasa Indonesia, PERANAKAN means descendant. BABA is referring to the male descendants and NYONYA is the female. Most PERANAKAN are of Hokkein ancestry, although fair denominations of them are of the Teochew or Cantonese descent. The language of the PERANAKAN, Baba Malay (Bahasa Melayu Baba), is a dialect of the Malay Language which contains many Hokkein works.
The BABANYONYA were partially assimilated into the Malay culture, especially in food, dress and language used, while retaining some of the Chinese traditions and culture, like religion, name, folk medicine and festival celebrations, thereby creating a new kind of mixed culture of their country of origin with local. Most of the Peranakan are not Muslim, but Buddhist and Christians, and have retained the ancestral worship tradition of the Chinese, especially of their wedding ceremony is largely based upon the Chinese tradition.
1 comment:
Baba and Nyonya of Melaka is dispearing in the naked eyes of Malaysian. Can we really differentiate by just looking at them. The only way to know if they are a baba and nyonya is the way they speak the malay dialect. but nowadays many of them are able to speak mandarin or hokkien or other chinese dialect and most of the baba n nyonyas speak fluent english. Well, that is why the only way we can know if they are from the baba n nyonya generation is through their language and from they themself.
As we see it, the baba n nyonyas are the product of mix cultures. where part of it was from the chinese community and the other part of them come from the malay community.
Where are these baba n nyonyas people nowadays? do they still exist? well for me, these people is everywhere, they might just be the person sitting next to you while you were having dinner with your friend or family. You wont realise it just because they no longer speak baba dialect and most of them speak english or chinese. Only those who really original ...husband and wife who both comes from the baba n nyonya family do still speak the dialect..even that also ..they have mix it with english or other chinese dialect.
so next time when you are having your dinner, just speak some of the language and the next table person will look at you. they will either say..man!!! this guy/girl is babannyonya(at least make them happy la if they are the same) or they will say..apa punya cina, cakap melayu ja tau ..hahahaha.
Have a nice day.
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