Etymology of Malaysia

The name Malaysia was adopted in 1963 when the existing states of the Federation of Malaya, plus Singapore, North Borneo and Sarawak formed a new federation.[14] Prior to that, the name itself had been vaguely used to refer to areas in Southeast Asia. A map published in 1914 in Chicago has the word Malaysia printed on it referring to certain territories within the Malay Archipelago.[15] The continental part of the country bore the name Federation of Malaya until 1963, when it federated with the territories of Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore.[16][17] Politicians in the Philippines once contemplated naming their state "Malaysia", but in 1963 Malaysia adopted the name first.[18] At the time of the 1963 federation, other names were considered: among them was Langkasuka, after the historic kingdom located at the upper section of the Malay Peninsula in the first millennium of the common era.[19]

The origins of the word Melayu itself are disputed. One theory is that it is derived from the Melayu Kingdom,[20] a classical kingdom that existed between the 7th and the 13th on Sumatra.

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