Konsep Merantau Ke Alam Melayu: Serampang Banyak Mata

Abstract

ABSTRAK: Alam Melayu meliputi satu wilayah yang luas dan telah lama mempunyai peradaban gemilang dan terbilang seawal abad ke-7 lagi. Selain kaya dengan khazanah bangsa, alam Melayu juga kaya dengan flora dan fauna yang menjadi bahan kajian cendekiawan Barat dalam bidang sains biologi, geologi dan sebagainya. Kajian ini menggariskan tiga objektif bagi mencari jawapan kepada persoalan sebab-sebab utama orang-orang Barat tertarik hati ke alam Melayu, dan apakah bentuk keunikan alam Melayu yang menggamit mereka tertumpu ke kawasan ini, dan siapakah antara mereka yang memberikan sumbangan dalam penghasilan karya tentang bahasa Melayu. Data kajian berdasarkan catatan dokumentasi cendekiawan dan sarjana Barat yang tersiar dalam Jurnal Dewan Bahasa (1989-1997). Kaedah kepustakaan digunakan untuk kajian ini, disamping menerapkan pendekatan biografi dengan konsep merantau ke alam Melayu. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa antara faktor penting, termasuklah faktor kesarjanaan, ekonomi dan perdagangan, agama, politik dan usaha mencari kemasyhuran nama, serta pentadbiran dan pendidikan yang telah menggamit golongan non-kolonial dan kolonial merantau ke Alam Melayu. Kehadiran mereka di alam Melayu telah berjaya menghasilkan ribuan kosa kata dan secara tidak langsung telah melahirkan golongan cendekiawan seperti Pigafetta, de Houtman, Bowrey, Marsden, Klinkert, Shellabear, Wilkinson, Winstedt, Swettenham, Hamilton dan lainlain. Penerbitan kamus-kamus ini banyak memberikan manfaat kepada pengguna bahasa dan penyelidik pada zaman dahulu dan kini sebagai sumber rujukan, bukan sahaja kepada pengkaji Barat tetapi juga pengkaji di sebelah Timur. Hasil kajian dan penerbitan tersebut turut menyumbang kepada pengayaan kepustakaan Melayu.

Kata kunci: konsep merantau, Alam Melayu, cendekiawan Barat, daftar kata

ABSTRACT: The Malay world is situated in a vast region and possesses a bright and glorious civilization as early as 7th century. Apart rich in Malay heritage, the Malay world is indeed rich in flora and fauna as research materials by Western scholars in the field of biological science, geology, etc. This study underlines three objectives to answer the questions what are the main reasons that have attracted the westerners to the Malay world. And what are the uniqueness of the Malay World that made them drawn to this region, and who are among them that have contributed to produce works pertaining to the Malay language. The research data are based on documentation notes on Western scholars published in Jurnal Dewan Bahasa (1989-1997). This study has applied biographical approach with the concept of Merantau to the Malay World. The finding shows that among other important factors, are scholarship, economy and trade, religion, politics and efforts for fame as well as administration and educational factors that have drawn non-colonial and colonial personalities to the Malay world. During their stay, they managed to collect thousands of lexical words and indirectly they became a well-known intellectual, like Pigafetta, de Houtman, Bowrey, Marsden, Klinkert, Shellabear, Wilkinson, Swettenham, Hamilton and others. Publication of dictionaries by them have brought a great help to users and researchers that time till today as sources of reference not only for Western researchers but also local researchers. Those publications contribute to the Malay depository.

Key words: concept of merantau, Malay World, Western scholars, lexical words