The Disciplinary Issues in Malay Figurative Language and Its Similarities with Majaz Concept of the Arabic Rhetoric

Abstract

The article discusses main issues in Malay figurative language and its potential in developing into a new discipline. One of the main issues, the concept of Malay rhetoric knowledge or discipline is not systematically and accurately organized for hundred years. There is a major misunderstanding in the knowledge and overlapping concepts in terms of stylistic, semiotic, esthetic, discourse and poetic. The Malay rhetoric knowledge seems small and lifeless in modern Malay linguistics and literature study because it lacks innovation which enables in enriching its concepts and structures within the perspective of Malay world and its sociocultural view. This research attempts to enlighten the figurative language values from rhetorical view and to figure out the similarities between Malay figurative languages with the concept of majaz in Arabic rhetoric. This uniqueness points out the potential of figurative language to be strengthened and combined with other branches of knowledge in Malay rhetoric arts. The success of strengthening the figurative language can act as a starting point to a more holistic innovation of the discipline towards the great unity of Malay rhetoric knowledge, which is influential and stronger in carrying meaning in understanding Malay thinking pattern and their socio cultural in communicating through multiple language genres.