Mat Salleh

Malay

Etymology

Spelling variant of mat salih, from mat (“a colloquial term for a specific person”) +‎ salih (“weird”). Influenced, via folk etymology, by Salleh (a person name).

It is presumably borrowed from English mad sailor, referring to unruly, drunk British sailors who fought at ports and a euphemism used by the colonial British authorities.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mat saleh/
• (Johor-Riau) IPA^(key): [mät̚ säle̞h, -eh, -ɪh]

Noun

Mat Salleh (informal 1st possessive Mat Sallehku, 2nd possessive Mat Sallehmu, 3rd possessive Mat Sallehnya)

1. (slang) white person, usually a male.

   Synonym: orang putih

   Antonym: Minah Salleh (a white woman)