Malay English: Jungle Cat and Papia Kristang

malay english: I definitely fear Kristang could disappear, the 50-year-old teacher told AFP, as the youngsters dressed in Portuguese-style traditional costumes laughed and danced, according to The Japan Times. Many Eurasians have moved out of the settlement and the children only speak Malay and English, she added, referring to an area of Malacca that has traditionally been home to speakers of the language. The youngsters chant bong atardi mestri good evening teacher and work their way through songs including Bunitu siara siorus Beautiful ladies and gentlemen and Gato do matu The jungle cat . ; Sara Santa Maria runs the weekly classes at her home to ensure the younger generation learn Papia Kristang, one of several steps aimed at preserving an endangered language spoken by people of mixed Portuguese and Malaysian ancestry. Kristang developed after the Portuguese took over the strategic port city on the Straits of Malacca, one of the world's most important shipping routes, about 500 years ago and colonizers married local women. After Portuguese rule, the Dutch colonized it and later the British took it over until Malaysian independence. It was an era when tiny Portugal had a global empire and Malacca, a center of the lucrative spice trade, was a key prize for rival powers. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.