Resumen de Greetings among royalty in Malaysia

Hafriza Burhanudeen

• Malaysiern royalty is regarded äs the apex of society. Members of this Institution observe specific language and social norms dating back to äs early äs thefifteenth Century, when the great Malay kingdoms were established. Even today, these norms are intimately associated with the royal class. This paper aims to describe and explain the intricacies of linguistic and social behavior of the royalty in Malaysia when they greet each other in various situations. Here, greetings will encompass proper forms ofaddress between royalty and the pleasantries associated with such greetings.

  Discussion will also focus onfactors that influence the degree of greeting formality among the royalty. This will include factors such äs the Status and position of the Speaker vis a vis the listener within the royal class and the level of rapport between the participating members of royalty. The sharedknowledge ofappropriate language and social use unifies the Speakers äs members of a single speech Community and serves to maintain social stratification in Malaysia.