THE CONTINUUM OF TERENGGANU DIALECT ALONG THE EAST COAST MALAYSIA: A GEOLINGUISTIC STUDY

Abstract

Background and Purpose: One of the eminent Malay dialects on the east coast is the Terengganu dialect which is argued to have some linguistic peculiarities. The prominent characteristics are nasal modification, nasal deletion, fricative modification, liquid deletion and monophthongization. These dialectal features are very much different from the standard Malay.
 
 Methodology: This research involved a fieldwork at 52 village points with the participation of 500 informants. They were interviewed and requested to fill in the questionnaires. 
 
 Findings: The findings prove that the Terengganu dialectal features are widely used and progressed to southward. Hence the distribution overtly formed a continuum of Terengganu dialect. Non-linguistic factors such as history, socioeconomics and topography also play essential roles in regulating the distribution of this dialect. Historically, Terengganu was regarded as the centre of civilization with the discovery of the inscription stone as early as 1303AD. Its sea served as the silk road for the Chinese merchants. In addition, Terengganu people were expert in making vessels and they are skillful sailors as well. Furthermore, the flatlands along the coast amplifies the movement and dissemination of this dialect.
 
 Contributions: A geolinguistic study presented in this article provides some novel insights into how the Terengganu dialect dispersed, and the dialect continuum was formed using GIS technology. 
 
 Keywords: Dialect continuum, east-coast, geolinguistics, Terengganu dialect, topography.
 
 Cite as: Jalaluddin, N. H., Wan Halim, W. A. A., & Saari, K. A. (2021). The continuum of Terengganu dialect along the east coast Malaysia: A geolinguistic study. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 6(1), 176-198. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol6iss1pp176-198