Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society/Volume 85/Points of the Compass in Brunei Malay
Points of the Compass in Brunei Malay.
The Points of the Compass in Brunei Malay have been discussed by Major J. C. Moulton in this Journal No. 83, 1921, p. 75.
The Serang of the s. l. Brunei explained the use of the word Ulara as meaning N. E. by the fact that Malays fix the points of the compass by the winds; Musim Utara is the general Malay expression for the N. E. monsoon during which they cannot go out fishing, but if the wind shifts a point north they can, so they have a definite name for this: Iraga. And thus avoid confusion with the rightly dreaded Utara.
The coast of Borneo runs from S. W. to N. E., so a wind from the open sea i.e. Angin Laut would be a N. W. wind and a wind from the west would still be a sea wind Barat Laut i.e. from the western sea. The use of Barat Tepat for south west is probably a confusion of thought as such a wind would come straight (tepat) up the coast.
The other three winds are not sea winds: Timor the East is always definite; Selatan I don't think I ever heard used; the meaning given in Wilkinson is the wind from the side of the Straits not S. E.
Barat Daya for south might be explained by the meaning of Daya, treacherous, deceptive, as a wind partly off the shore would be.
Kuala Lumpur 16/7/21.