English translation: sponsor/payer of downpayment/advance
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Malay to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / 1910 novel Hikayat Siti Mariah
Malay term or phrase:pemanjar uang
This first Indonesian novel was written in Malay lingua franca. In the sentence 'Juga mereka [para pemandu jemaah] bertindak sebagai pemanjar uang pada mereka [para jemaah haji] yang tak punya uang kontan', how would you translate 'pemanjar uang'? I believe it is a euphemism for 'money lender', in the sense that panjar/pemanjar has the sense of 'buttressing' or 'propping up' something. Although money lending for interest is forbidden in Islam, the 'pemandu jemaah' in the mid- to late-1800s included Europeans and 'Indos', half Dutch and half pribumi, so money lending, especially 'under the table', would not have been out of the question. If not 'money lender', what?
Explanation: - First, I would like to say that pemanjar uang is not really a malaysian malay (BM) term. The BM for this would be pembayar wang cagar/muka/pendahuluan or cengkeram.
- In malaysian malay:
~ panjar = cengkeram, wang muka (pendahuluan)
- Anyone who paid or forwarded an advance would be a pemanjar wang. Please note that it didn't have to be in the form of a loan. It may well be a gift too.
- I've also never heard of the term being a euphemism for moneylender in BM. It may well be, but i think it is unlikely in this context. Moneylenders charge interests and that would make the funds unacceptable for Hajj purposes.
However generally speaking, in as far as people borrow from moneylenders for all kinds of reasons, they could also be pemanjar wang if the loans were used to pay downpayments.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 13 hrs (2010-11-23 21:05:00 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
i see what you mean. interesting conundrum, catherine! :-)
Yes, Rastom. At the time in which the novel is set (mid- to late-1800s), the Dutch had a Consulate in Jeddah and haj guides worked out of the Consulate. Some were European and some were mixed European (Dutch)/pribumi. So, moneylending in the form of advances, as you suggest, would have been a feature. Please make a suggestion (for points) as to how I should translate the term in the context of the sentence.
References to moneylender would have been peminjam wang/uang. The context points to one advancing cash for those 'jemaah' who goes for Haj pilgrimage cashless (but assuming they are well endowed nevertheless). I wonder if the Haj guides are Europeans?
I do realise that in Malay, the correct spelling is 'wang'; however, meaning would be the same.
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Answers
11 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): +1
sponsor/payer of downpayment/advance
Explanation: - First, I would like to say that pemanjar uang is not really a malaysian malay (BM) term. The BM for this would be pembayar wang cagar/muka/pendahuluan or cengkeram.
- In malaysian malay:
~ panjar = cengkeram, wang muka (pendahuluan)
- Anyone who paid or forwarded an advance would be a pemanjar wang. Please note that it didn't have to be in the form of a loan. It may well be a gift too.
- I've also never heard of the term being a euphemism for moneylender in BM. It may well be, but i think it is unlikely in this context. Moneylenders charge interests and that would make the funds unacceptable for Hajj purposes.
However generally speaking, in as far as people borrow from moneylenders for all kinds of reasons, they could also be pemanjar wang if the loans were used to pay downpayments.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 13 hrs (2010-11-23 21:05:00 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
i see what you mean. interesting conundrum, catherine! :-)
how do you feel about "hajj financiers"?
yam2u Local time: 10:04 Meets criteria Native speaker of: Malay, English PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
I appreciate your help very much. Thank you.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you for your thoughtful and comprehensive answer. In the context of the novel, I believe these 'sponsors' or 'people who advanced money' to jemaah haji, were often Europeans or 'Indos' who became very wealthy from their endeavours, so I think they were 'moneylenders' behind the quise of 'sponsor' or 'payers of advances'.
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +1
