Growing up in a polyglot environment was quite confusing at times. During our schooldays, we used to look forward the summer vacations in Kerala - the two-day train journey from Hyderabad to Chanaganaserry; the endless hours spent in catching fishes, splashing in the pond, hunting for fruits, and playing with cousins. But after spending two months in Kerala, my Deccani Hindi vocabulary would get completely swamped by Malayalam, resulting in strange conversations as soon as we got back to Hyderabad:
Friend - कहाँ था बे? तेरेको इतना बुलारे थे..(Where the heck were you? We had been calling out..)And that would be the exact moment when a new nickname was born. I would be heartily called "Kakkoos" for a few days until all strange new words were badgered back into the confines of our home.
Me - में तो कक्कूस में था..(Oh, I was in the "Kakkoos"/Toilet)
Friend - कक्कूस?? वो क्या बे?(Kakkoos?? Whats that??)
It now turns out that "Kakkoos" is not even a Malayalam word - it is originally Dutch!
This and many other surprises tumbled out of a PDF file that Dr. Jayathilak sent me sometime back. The file is an appendix to an unknown book and contains a long list of Malayalam words from European languages. Here are some of the more commonly used borrowed-words:
Malayalam words from the PORTUGUESE language -
- Alumaari - അലമാരി - Cupboard - "Armario"
- Amara - അമര - Mulberry tree - "Amora"
- Aaspatri - ആസ്പത്രി -Hospital - "Hospital"
- Chaavi - ചാവി - Key - "Caave"
- Govi - ഗോവി - Cabbage - "Couvre" (also in Hindi)
- Iskuul - ഇസ്കൂള് - School - "Escola"
- Istri - iസ്ത്രി - Smoothing iron - "Esterar"
- Jennal - ജെന്നാല് - Window - "Jenala"
- Kamis - കാമിസ് - Shirt - "Camiso" (also in Hindi, Urdu)
- Kurisu - കുരിശു - Cross - "Cruz"
- Laelam - ലഈലം - Auction - "Leilac"
- Mesha - മേശാ - Table - "Mesa"
- Maestri - മെസ്ത്രി - Foreman - "Mestre"
- Naranja - Lemon / Citrus fruit
- Paadhiri - പാധിരി - Clergyman - "Padre"
- Paappa - പാപ - The Pope - "papa"
- Pena - പേന - Pen - "Pena"
- Pera - പേര - Guava - "Pera"
- Pikkassu - പിക്കാസ് - Pick-axe - "Picao"
- Tambloor - തമ്ബ്ലൂര് - "Tambler"
- Teila - റെഇല - Tea leaves - "Tea"
- Tuuvala - തൂവാല - Towel, handkerchief - "Toalha"
- Vattakka - വട്ടക്ക - Watermelon - "Pateca" (can also mean "the round fruit" in Mal.)
- Vatteri - വട്റെരി - Battery, a set of guns - "Bateria"
Malayalam words from the DUTCH language
- Kakkoos - കക്കൂസ് - Latrine - "Kakhus"
If so many common words have been borrowed from the European traders and colonizers who came a few centuries ago, there must be a much bigger collection of words that came from the Arabs. Wonder where I could find some papers on this...
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Related Links -
English words with Malayalam origin
http://www.nvtc.gov/lotw/months/april/Malayalam.html
11 comments:
Hello Dinakar,
I am from Kerala and currently working on a malayalam wikipedia article മലയാളത്തിലെ പോർച്ചുഗീസ് പദങ്ങൾ
I have found a few words from this post of yours. I would very much appreciate if you could mail me the pdf file you mentioned your friend sent you. Thanks
Hello Dinakar, I am from Kerala and am currently working on a malayalam wikipedia article മലയാളത്തിലെ പോര്ച്ചുഗീസ് പദങ്ങള്. I have verified a few of your entries and added them.I would very much appreciate if you could send me the pdf file mentioned in this post that your friend send you I know it has been many years. Do you still have it by any chance?
Hi Fuad,
Thanks for getting in touch.Its great to know that you're writing an article on Mal-Portuguese words!
I am trying to retrieve the PDF file from my archives...pls give me a few days time.
Meanwhile, pls send me your email id.
Cheers,
Dinakar
narangi is and old fruit mentioned in indian documents. In fact naranga = nara + kaya where naru = fragrance. In malayalam it is naranga which is converted to naranja and then into orange.
The variety of orange introduced that is popular today is from Europe, but the word definitely is not.
List_of_loanwords_in_Malayalam wikipedia
Thanks, Diov!
Can anyone tell me the origin of the word Bormah for Oven ?
From the Portuguese word Forno
From the word Forno Portuguese
It's so freaking crazy. I have a Portuguese classmate and we been talking about similar words the other day
NEPALESE IN MALAYALAM
Until 19th century the vernacular language of indigenous Dravidian people of Kerala was Malayanma which was devoid of Nepalese words but had few Sanskrit words. Philipose Rambans Bible was the last Malayanma book printed in 1811 AD.
After 1815 British missionaries changed policy and started promoting the Grantha Malayalam, a Nepalese mixed malayalam exclusively used by Nambuthiris and some Nairs, then used by less than 5% of the population.
Church Mission Society Kottayam and the British Missionary Benjamin Bailey and German missionary Herman Gundert were instrumental in the promotion of Nepalese colloquial words as Sanskrit. More than 3000 Nepalese words were added to Malayalam, a Dravidian language.
The place origin of these words is Ahichatra, capital of ancient from where Kadamba king Mayura Varma brought Aryan Brahmins and Naga warriors to Karnataka and settled them in Tulunad in 345 AD. Banapperumal a Tulu prince from Alupas Kingdom invaded Kerala in 1120 AD with a 350000 strong Nair army.
After the invasion of Malik Kafur in 1311 AD all the Tamil Kingdoms cane to an end. The Matriarchal kingdoms which followed after 1340 AD had this Tulu-Nepalese heritage.
In the 19th century Malayanma was deliberately mixed with these Nepalese words. The resultant language was popularised as Puthu Malayalam.
Nepalese words in Malayalam
🇳🇵 Abbreviated संक्षिप्त Saṅkṣipta സംക്ഷിപ്തമായി
🇳🇵 Abduction अपहरण Apaharaṇa അപഹരണം
🇳🇵 Aborigine आदिवासी Ādivāsī ആദിവാസി
🇳🇵 Acceptance स्वीकृति Svīkr̥ti സ്വീകാരം
🇳🇵 Accidental आकस्मिक Ākasmika ആകസ്മികമായ
🇳🇵 Accumulation संचय San̄caya സഞ്ചയം
🇳🇵 Acknowledgement स्वीकार Svīkāra സ്വീകാരം
🇳🇵 Actor अभिनेता Abhinētā അഭിനേതാവ്
🇳🇵 Actress अभिनेत्री Abhinētrī അഭിനേത്രി
🇳🇵 Addressing सम्बोधन Sambōdhana സംബോധനചെയ്യല്
🇳🇵 Adequacy पर्याप्तता Paryāptatā പര്യാപ്തത
🇳🇵 Adjective विशेषण Viśēṣaṇa വിശേഷണം
🇳🇵 Admission प्रवेश Pravēśa പ്രവേശനം
🇳🇵 Adore पूजा गर्नु Pūjā garnu പൂജിക്കുക
🇳🇵 Adulteressव्यभिचारिणी Vyabhicāriṇī വ്യഭിചാരിണി
🇳🇵 Adultery व्यभिचार Vyabhicāra വ്യഭിചാരം
🇳🇵 Advent आगमन Āgamana ആഗമനം
🇳🇵 Adventure साहसिक Sāhasika സാഹസിക
🇳🇵 Adversary विरोधी Virōdhī വിരോധി
🇳🇵 Adverse प्रतिकूल Pratikūla പ്രതികൂലമായ
🇳🇵 Advertisement विज्ञापन Vijñāpana വിജ്ഞാപനം
🇳🇵 Affection ममता Mamatā മമത
🇳🇵 Affection स्नेह Snēha സ്നേഹം
🇳🇵 Affliction पीडा Pīḍā പീഡ
🇳🇵 Aggression आक्रामकता Ākrāmakatā ആക്രമണം
🇳🇵 Agriculture कृषि Kr̥ṣi കൃഷി
🇳🇵 Aid सहायता Sahāyatā സഹായം
🇳🇵 Allegation आरोप Ārōpa ആരോപണം
🇳🇵 Allow अनुमति Anumati അനുമതി
🇳🇵 Almanac पंचांग Pan̄cāṅga പഞ്ചാംഗം
🇳🇵 Alms भिक्षा Bhikṣā ഭിക്ഷ
🇳🇵 Amazing आश्चर्यजनक Āścaryajanaka ആശ്ചര്യജനകമായ
🇳🇵 Ambrosia अमृत Amr̥ta അമൃതം
🇳🇵 Anarchy अराजकता Arājakatā അരാജകത്വം
🇳🇵 Ancient पुरानो Purānō പുരാണമായ
🇳🇵 Anniversary वार्षिकोत्सव Vārṣikōtsava വാര്ഷികോത്സവം
🇳🇵 Annual वार्षिक Vārṣika വാര്ഷികമായ
🇳🇵 Anointing अभिषेक गर्दै Abhiṣēka gardai അഭിഷേകംചെയ്യല്
🇳🇵 Answer उत्तर Uttara ഉത്തരം
🇳🇵 Antagonist विरोधी Virōdhī വിരോധി
🇳🇵 Anxiety चिन्ता Cintā ചിന്താകുലത
🇳🇵 Apology माफ Māpha माफी Māphī മാപ്പു
🇳🇵 Appointed नियुक्त Niyukta നിയുക്തമായ
🇳🇵 Appointment नियुक्ति Niyukti നിയുക്തമായ
🇳🇵 Apprehension आशंका Āśaṅkā ആശങ്ക
🇳🇵 Archer धनुर्धारी Dhanurdhārī ധനുര്ധാരി
🇳🇵 Argument तर्क Tarka തര്ക്കം
🇳🇵 Armour कवच Kavaca കവചം
🇳🇵 Arrangement व्यवस्था Vyavasthā വ്യവസ്ഥ
🇳🇵 Arrival आगमन Āgamana ആഗമനം
🇳🇵 Arrogance अहंकार Ahaṅkāra അഹങ്കാരം
🇳🇵 Arrogant अहंकारी Ahaṅkārī അഹങ്കാരിയായ
🇳🇵 Art कला Kalā കല
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