soalan (Malay)
Where does "soalan" come from?
The Malay word 'soalan,' meaning 'question,' is formed by combining the root 'soal' with the collective suffix '-an.' The root 'soal' itself was borrowed into Malay from the Arabic word 'suʔāl,' reflecting a cultural bridge between the two languages. Meanwhile, the suffix '-an' carries a deeply ancient history, tracing its origins all the way back through Proto-Malayic and Proto-Malayo-Polynesian to the Proto-Austronesian language family.
Full etymology tree
- soalan (Malay), 'question'
- suffix soal (Malay), 'to ask, to question, to interrogate'
- borrowed suʔāl (Arabic)
- suffix -an (Malay), 'Suffix for collectivity'
- inherited *-an (Proto-Malayic), 'Verbal suffix marking locative focus.'
- inherited *-an (Proto-Malayo-Polynesian), 'Verbal suffix marking locative focus.'
- inherited *-an (Proto-Austronesian), 'Verbal suffix marking locative focus.'
- inherited *-an (Proto-Malayo-Polynesian), 'Verbal suffix marking locative focus.'
- inherited *-an (Proto-Malayic), 'Verbal suffix marking locative focus.'
- suffix soal (Malay), 'to ask, to question, to interrogate'
Ancestors
- soal (Malay)
- -an (Malay)
Descendants and derived words
- soalan lazim (Malay)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris