LANGUAGE IN KEDAH IN LATE 19TH CENTURY LANGUAGE SITUATION IN A MALAY STATE IN LATE 19TH CENTURY

This is a study of the language situation in Kedah in late 19th century based on a corpus letters of Sultan Abdul Hamid Shah of Kedah written during the period. In order to achieve a holistic picture of the linguistic situation of Kedah during that period, a two-pronged approach is applied. One is a description of the multilingual situation in Kedah. The other is the Sultan’s own language choice as an individual and in carrying out his duty as ruler of the state.