Arabic Langauge Influences in Southeast Asia: The Case Study of The Maranaos In The Philippines

Abstract

The Maranaos predominantly inhabit Lanao del Sur in Mindanao in the Southern part of the Philippines. It is observed from the related literature that the Maranao language has numerous Arabic words. However, these Arabic words were not identified in the Maranao language, for this reason, this research focuses on identifying the Arabic words that are used by the Maranaos in their communication. The main objective of this study is to investigate the Arabic vocabulary utilized in Maranao language. The methods used in this research is that the native Maranao and native Arab examined the Arabic words in a Maranao dictionary. The findings revealed that there are over 600 Arabic words used by the Maranaos which is explained as a socio-political influence of the coming of Arabs in the Philippines in the 7th century and onward centuries. Keywords: Arabs; Maranaos; the Philippines; Arabic language; Maranao language