Persekutuan Tanah-tanah Melayu

I. Persekutuan

Although the Dravidian word kūṭu கூடு is homophonically similar to the Malay word kutu کوتو, the Indic word is not a reference to the wingless parasitic insect of the order Phthiraptera.

Wilkinson (1901) was clearly able to differentiate between the Malay kutu کوتو dan Dravidian kūṭu கூடு. In p. 544, we have the following entry: I. A louse; an insect parasite; (by metaphor) a parasite generally, a man who lives on another. Di-mana kutu mahu makan kalau tidak di-kepala: where is a louse to feed if not on the heads of others; how is a prince's parasite to live except by plundering others in his master's service; Proverb: Kutu berperang denga geroda: the louse is warring on the eagle; a proverb ridiculing vain boasting. Kutu anjing: a flea; (sometimes) a tick. Kutu babi: a bug. Kutu bidok: the insects in the timbers of an ill-kept boat. Kutu pajak: a vagrant, a loafer. Tindas kutu: to kill lice by breaking them on the thumb-nail. II. Tamil. An association, especially a peculiar kind of club for saving money, each member paying instalments to a joint fund. Sa-kutu: association, combination. Menyakutu: to associate, to combine, to multiply; e.g. menyakutu Tuhan: to represent God as an association, i.e. as multiple; Sha'ir Iblis II.

In Dravidian languages, kūṭu functions both as a noun and a verb. As a verb, it means ‘to federate' or ‘to assemble', while as a noun, it refers either to the result of aggregating things or the receptacle used for collecting them. For instance, the Indic word is the nucleus in the composite Malay term persekutuan, which is the nominalized form of the verb bersekutu.

$$\underbrace{\rm sa}_{\textrm{unity}} + \underbrace{\rm kūṭu}_{\textrm{ensemble}} \rightarrow \underbrace{\textrm{sekūṭu}}_{\textrm{united ensemble}}$$ $${\rm ber} \quad + \underbrace{\textrm{sekūṭu}}_{\textrm{united ensemble}}\rightarrow \underbrace{\textrm{bersekūṭu}}_{\textrm{becomes a unified ensemble}}$$

In Malay, the motto UNITY IS STRENGTH is translated as: Bersekutu bertambah mutu (برسکوتو برتمبه موتو). The verb bersekutu can nominalized to noun by placing the verb between per and an: \({\rm per} + \textrm{sekūṭu} + {\rm an} \rightarrow \textrm{persekūṭuan}\). The Malay word ‘mutu' is derived from from Tamil முத்து (muthu). In Dravidian languages, முத்து functions both as noun (meaning pearl) or as a verb (to federate/to join). In the old emblem of Malaya, Penang (Prince of Wales Island) is still represented by three ostrich feathers, with their quills passing through an escroll bearing the German motto ICH DIEN (I serve). Melaka, on the other hand, is symbolized by the Gate of St. James (Porta de Sant Iago). St. James (d. 44) was a disciple of Jesus and the patron saint of the Iberian peninsula (Portugal and Spain). The name ‘James' is an anglicized corruption of the Hebrew word Yaʿaqōb (יעקב). For example, in the Quran, Ya'qub يَعْقُوب is mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:132-133 (Prophets Ibrahim and Ya'qub urged their children to remain devoted to the one true God. The sons of Ya'qub affirmed their commitment to worshiping Him alone and dying as Muslims).

The original motto in the emblem of the Federated Malay States was: Dipelihara Allah دڤليهارا الله (protected by God). Taken from C. W. Harrison (1910) An illustrated guid to the Federated Malay States, The Malay States Information Agency, London. The coat of arms features a escutcheon with four colors, two opposing tigers, an English crown, and the escroll.

II. Tanah-tanah Melayu

The term tanah-tanah Melayu was originally a reference to the various native states or Malay states in the peninsula. It was mentioned, for instance, in the following passage in Bintang Timor (24 September 1894).

. . . Sebermula ada pun akhbar Bintang Timor ini iya-lah suatu akhbar Melayu yang bungsu skali thahir di dalam Dunia, dan iya-lah yang pertama tama bagai akhbar Romanized di dalam Singapura dan tanah-tanah Melayu. Maka semenjak keluar Bintang Timor ini banyak-lah orang orang Melayu dan Baba baba (peranakkan China) yang tiada tahu bahsa Inggris dapat mengtahwi apa apa perkhabaran di dalam Bintang Timor ini istemewa orang orang Puteh yang tiada tahu huruf Arab tetapi tahu sedikit sedikit bahsa Melayu dapatlah iya mengtahwi lebih di dalam bahsa Melayu. Akan tetapi sayang sayang ka banyakkan kita di seblah sini baik Melayu atau Baba-baba dan sebagai-nya bangsa yang teranak di Singapura, Palau Pinang dan Melaka serta tanah-tanah Melayu tiada berapa gemar rupa-nya mengambil Bintang Timor ini, agak-nya ulih kebiasa-an marika berapa zaman turun temurun tiada pernah di lihat dan di keluar-kan orang akhbar Romanized di dalam tanah-ayer-nya atau pun sebab tiada berapa faham iya membacha-nya kerna ke banyak-kan surat surat khabar itu bahsa Melayu dalam (tinggi) sebab itu-lah menjadi tawar hati marika itu mengambil Bintang Timor ini pada hal tiada di ketahwi-nya berapa banyak pengtahwan dan plajaran serta perkhabaran yang dapat di ketahwi di dalam Bintang Timor ini bukan-kah baik marika itu berjinak jinak dan bermahir-mahirkan Bintang Timor ini sepaya dapat-lah iya pengtahwan lebih dan mengtahwi bahsa Melayu dalam; maka ta'dapat tiada apabila slalu iya membacha Bintang Timor ini dapat-lah iya faham sekalian bahsa yang ada di dalam Bintang Timor ini maka bahru-lah iya mendapat pati-nya bahsa Melayu kerna hamba dapti skalian Baba-baba di selbah sini berchakap di dalam bahsa Melayu belaka tetapi bahsa rendah sebab itu harus-lah sekalian marika mengtahwi bahsa dalam sepaya jangan alang kepalang berbahsa Melayu itu . . .

1. The same word is also used in Kannada ಕೂಟ to mean ensemble or convergence. The explanation given by Rusmadi Baharudin et al. (2024) is as follows: . . . perkataaan ini diwarisi daripada kata bahasa Melayik Purba *kutu. Kata ini juga terdapat dalam bahasa Melayu-Jawinik Purba *kutuq. Berdasarkan sejarah perkembangan kata, kata bahasa Melayik Purba *kutu dan kata bahasa Melayu-Jawanik Purba *kutuq diturunkan daripada kata bahasa Melayu-Polinesia Purba *kutu. Kata bahasa Melayu-Polinesia Purba *kutu diturunkan daripada kata bahasa Austronesian Purba *kuçu. Kata bahasa turunan lain yang juga mewarisi bentuk kata yang sama seperti bahasa Melayu ialah bahasa Banjar kutu, kata bahasa Madura koto, kata bahasa Tagalog kúto, kata bahasa Manggarai hutu, kata bahasa Samoa ?utu, dan kata bahasa Tsou kcū. Dalam bahasa Melayu, kata ini sama maknanya dengan bahasa purba dan bahasa turunan yang lain . . .
   
   
2. The final ‘h' in bertambah is rendered with a diacriticalized هـ.
   
   
3. The term was invoked in its singular form in Bintang Timor (31 July 1894): . . . Bahwasanya daripada zaman perbekala telah berpaku di dalam sangka kebanyakkan bangsa akan was was, hantu, shietan, afsun, siwanggi sernasi, yuani, orang halus, dan kata orang orang dairah tanah Malayu ‘Banian' dan kata Melayu Betawi ‘Siluman' . . .
   
   
4. Persekutuan Tanah Melayu can be seen in Berita Harian (3 July 1957): . . . Merdeka bermaana permerentahan sendiri yang sebenar-nya bagi Persekutuan Tanah Melayu. Tetapi bagi Persekutuan mendapat kemerdekaan itu tidak bagitu susah-nya sabagaimana yang telah dihadap oleh Indonesia . . .
   
   
5. Alam Tanah Melayu can be seen in Kabar Kawat Malayu (5 March 1926): . . . Tolonglah Tuan Pengarang yang bijaksana sekalian. Seruan beta ini dichelah2 Kabar Kawat Malayu tuan yang termeshohor namanya dientero Alam Tanah Melayu ini, ule sebab dengan perjalanan K.K.M tuan ini dapatlah bagai pembacha2 semuanya menyaksikan Seruan beta betol atau salah bagai Baba2 Peranakan dalam tanah ayer yang kita dudokee ini, dan yang pertama2 hendaklah mengambil ingatan sekali2 fasal Seruan beta ini, dan sekiranay ada tersalah ataupun terkilap akan seruan beta ini semuanya haraplah beta mintak maafkan . . .
   
   
6. Peranakkan is spelt with double k.
   
   
7. Dr. Al-Azharri, despite having a M.A in history from the University of Malaya, was apparently not able to recall the Malayan Union episode correctly. But he had the audacity to lecture others on the topic of British administrations.
   
   
   
   
8.