Etymology
The name "Malaysia" is a combination of the word "Malay" and the Latin-Greek suffix "-sia"/-σία.[22] The word "melayu" in Malay may derive from the Tamil words "malai" and "ur" meaning "mountain" and "city, land", respectively.[23][24][25] "Malayadvipa" was the word used by ancient Indian traders when referring to the Malay Peninsula.[26][27][28][29][30] Whether or not it originated from these roots, the word "melayu" or "mlayu" may have been used in early Malay/Javanese to mean to steadily accelerate or run. This term was applied to describe the strong current of the river Melayu in Sumatra.[31] The name was later adopted by the Melayu Kingdom that existed in the seventh century on Sumatra.[32][33]