Why do you need to know what they call their language? I went into a newsagent or book shop looking for a dictionary or phrase book on Malay or Indonesian (which are more or less the same with a few dialect words added). I could not find one.
I saw the words Bahasa Indonesia on a book. I thought it was a deflect of Indonesian. When I asked the assistant if she had a dictionary, she offered me the same book. I shook my head, "No, thanks".
Answer
Later I found out that the word Bahasa meant language. Indonesian is not called Indonesian in their language but Indonesian Language.
Story
I made two items of progress in my language learning. Firstly, I am not put off by the word Bahasa. Secondly, in fact when I see the word Bahasa I am attracted, curious, tempted. I browse in a library, stop to read. I borrow a friend's no longer needed book, and return it when they suddenly go on another business trip or holiday and ask me, "Do you still have that book I leant you?' I buy another book in a bookshop.
Malay, incidentally, has very easy vocabulary. I did the same in Malaysia as I had done for the first time long ago in Spain. I noticed a word above a shop which was nearly the same in English, and decided I would write it down on a scrap of paper and later note it in my diary. I thought I would find five new easy to recognise words, especially ones which might later be handy, such as a restaurant, grocery store, corner shop as we say in the UK, or convenience store one would say in the USA, chemist, as we would say in the UK, pharmacy or drug store in the USA. I soon had a list of ten, then twenty, and by the end of two days, nearly one hundred.
Author
Angela Lansbury, teacher of English and other languages.
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