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# [[Singh]] : via Hindi सिंह ''Singh'' finally from Sanskrit सिंहः ''simhah'' which means "a lion", from Tamil சிங்கம் ''singam''<ref>{{OEtymD|Singh}}</ref>
# [[Singh]] : via Hindi सिंह ''Singh'' finally from Sanskrit सिंहः ''simhah'' which means "a lion", from Tamil சிங்கம் ''singam''<ref>{{OEtymD|Singh}}</ref>
# [[sugar]] : through Old French ''sucre,'' [[Italian language|Italian]] ''zucchero,'' Medieval Latin ''succarum'', Arabic: سكر ''sukkar'' and Persian: شکر ''shakar'' ultimately from Sanskrit शर्करा ''sharkara'' which means "ground or candied sugar" (originally "grit" or "gravel"), from Tamil சக்கரை ''sakkarai''.<ref>{{OEtymD|sugar}}</ref>
# [[sugar]] : through Old French ''sucre,'' [[Italian language|Italian]] ''zucchero,'' Medieval Latin ''succarum'', Arabic: سكر ''sukkar'' and Persian: شکر ''shakar'' ultimately from Sanskrit शर्करा ''sharkara'' which means "ground or candied sugar" (originally "grit" or "gravel"), from Tamil சக்கரை ''sakkarai''.<ref>{{OEtymD|sugar}}</ref>
"Mango" derived from "Maangai" a Tamil word for mango fruit.


== Words of Tamil and also Malayalam origin==
== Words of Tamil and also Malayalam origin==

Revision as of 03:17, 20 December 2012


This is a list of English words that are directly or ultimately of Tamil origin. The list is by no means exhaustive. Relatively few instances can be considered direct borrowings from Tamil, as most of the borrowed forms have entered English through European languages, such as Portuguese or Dutch (the Portuguese and Dutch were among the first Europeans to have traded with South India), Arabic, Persian or Hindi-Urdu.

English words borrowed directly from Tamil

  1. The word "Tamil" itself
  2. alvar : from Tamil āl̤vār, derivative of ār̤- sink, be absorbed (as in contemplation)[1]
  3. bandana : from Sanskrit बन्धन bandhan, "a bond". From Tamil pantham "a bond",pathu "hold together, attachment", atta "hold tightly, a leech", ottu "stick", othu "bind together, make love"
  4. catamaran: from Tamil கட்டுமரம் kattumaram ("kattu"=tie up, "maram"=tree/wood) (Source: OED, AHD, MWD)
  5. corundum: from a Tamil word for 'ruby', குருந்தம் kuruntham or குருவிந்தம் kuruvintham (Source: OED)
  6. kabaddi : From the Tamil word (கை-பிடி) "kai" (hand), "pidi" (catch), which could be translated into "Holding Hands".[2]
  7. mulligatawny: from Tamil மிளகுத்தண்ணீர் milagu-tanneer from milagu black pepper and tanneer, water (Source: OED, AHD, MWD)
  8. mung bean : from Tamil mūngu, ultimately from Sanskrit mudga[3]
  9. pariah: from Tamil பறையர் paṟaiyar, plural of பறையன் paṟaiyaṉ "drummer". The meaning of "drummer" dates to 1613 (via Portuguese ?), but the current extended meaning of "outcast" for pariah is first attested in 1819. (Source: OED, AHD, MWD)
  10. patchouli: from Tamil pachchai பச்சை (green), and ellai இலை (leaf).[4]
  11. pandal: from Tamil பந்தல் pandhal (Source: OED)
  12. poon[disambiguation needed] : 1690–1700; from Tamil punnai, pinnai, Malayalam punna names for Calophyllum inophyllum[5]
  13. tutenag: from Tamil துத்தநாகம் thuthanaagam meaning "raw zinc" (Source: OED)
  14. verandah or veranda : from Tamil வெறுந்தரை veruntharai - Verum வெறும் (empty) + tharai தரை (floor or space) - A roofed opened gallery
  15. vetiver: from Tamil வெட்டிவேர் vettiver; a tropical Indian grass; Botanical name: Vetiveria zizanioides; its aromatic roots are used for weaving screens and baskets and the oil in perfumery (source: AHD)
  16. anicut: from Tamil anaikattu, ("anai"=dam, "kattu"=building/structure) (source:MWD)
  17. Palmyra: from Tamil Pannamarrum/Pannai, (Marram = Tree)
  18. sambal : through Afrikaans, Malay, and Tamil சம்பல் [6]
  19. anaconda : possibly from Tamil ஆனை கொன்றன் aanai kondran, elephant killer.[7] OED gives derivation from Tamil anai-kondra (anaik-konda), meaning "which killed an elephant.”[8] AHD, MWD, New Oxford American Dictionary give origin from Sinhalese හෙනකඳයා henakaňdayā, "whipsnake".
  20. cash : Of disputed origin. The primary meaning of the word cash, "paper money", or "money" in general, may be from French caisse, Provençal caissa, Italian cassa "money box" from Vulgar Latin capsa "chest, box". A secondary meaning of cash, referring to any of the various coins used in southern India and China, could be from Malayalam or Tamil காசு kācu (Source: OED, AHD, MWD)[9]
  21. coolie : Of disputed origin. OED states Tamil is proposed by some as the language of origin, from கூலி cooli a Tamil word for "labour". Alternatively, it could refer to a tribe from Gujarat, whose members were frequently employed as manual laborers.
  22. ginger: The English word ginger is derived from the Middle English gingivere, which in turn comes from Old English gingifer and from Old French gingivre, both from Medieval Latin gingiber. The Latin word is derived from Greek ζιγγίβερις zingiberis, of Middle Indic origin (akin to Pali सिन्गिभेरम् singiveram), from Dravidian roots, akin to Tamil இஞ்சி வேர் iñcivēr -- இஞ்சி iñci = ginger (of southeast Asian origin) + Tamil வேர் vēr = root.
  23. godown : via Malay gudang, from a Dravidian origin, cf. Kannada gadangu, Tamil கிட்டங்கி (கிடங்கு) Kittangi (kidangu/kodangu) "store room" (Source: OED)
  24. Moringa : exact origin unknown, cf. Tamil முருங்கை murungai , Tamil word for drumstick (Source: OED, AHD)

English words that ultimately have a Tamil origin

  1. ape : From Middle English, from Old English apa (“ape, monkey”), from Proto-Germanic *apô (“monkey, ape”), from Proto-Indo-European *abō- (“ape”). Cognate with Dutch aap (“monkey, ape”), Low German ape (“ape”), German Affe (“monkey, ape”), Swedish apa (“ape”), Icelandic api (“ape”). Bible Dictionary : an animal of the monkey tribe (1 Kings 10:22; 2 Chr. 9:21). It was brought from India by the fleets of Solomon and Hiram, and was called by the Hebrews _koph_, and by the Greeks _kepos_, both words being just the Indian Tamil name of the monkey, kapi, i.e., swift, nimble, active. No species of ape has ever been found in Palestine or the adjacent regions.[10]
  2. Beryl : from Old French beryl, via Latin beryllus, Greek βήρυλλος and Prakrit वेलुरिय (veluriya) ultimately from Sanskrit वैडूर्य vaidūrya, of Dravidian origin, maybe from the name of Belur.[11]
  3. candy : late 13c., "crystalized sugar," from O.Fr. çucre candi "sugar candy," ultimately from Arabic qandi, from Pers. qand "cane sugar," probably from Skt. khanda "piece (of sugar)," perhaps from Dravidian (cf. Tamil kantu "candy," kattu "to harden, condense"). As a verb, attested from 1530s; hence, candied (c.1600).[12]
  4. cheroot : via French cheroute, from Tamil சுருட்டு suruṭṭu, roll or rolled (Source: OED, AHD, MWD)
  5. cheetah : via Sanskrit चित्रस chitra-s "uniquely marked", from Tamil சிறுத்தை 'chiruthai'[13]
  6. Cochin-china : old name of a region and French colony in southern Vietnam, from Fr. Cochin-China, from Portuguese corruption of Ko-chen, of uncertain meaning; the China added to distinguish it from the town and port of Cochin in southwest India, the name of which is Tamil, perhaps from கொஞ்சம் koncham "little," in reference to the river there.[14]
  7. cot : "small bed", 1630s via Hindi khat "couch, hammock," from Skt. khatva (Dravidian source: Tamil கட்டில் kattil "bedstead").[15]
  8. cowrie : "small shell", via Hindi and Urdu kauri, from Mahrati kavadi, from Skt. kaparda (Source : Tamil கொடு kotu "shell").[16]
  9. cowry : "small shell", via Hindi and Urdu kauri, from Mahrati kavadi, from Skt. kaparda (Source : Tamil கொடு kotu "shell").[16][17]
  10. curry : via Hindi-Urdu from Tamil கறி kaṟi "sauce" (Source: OED, AHD, MWD)
  11. Jaggery : via Portuguese jágara, jagre and Malayalam ഛക്കര chakkara perhaps ultimately from Sanskrit शर्करा sarkara derived from proto-Dravidian (proto-Tamil).[18]
  12. pagoda : 1580s, from Port. pagode (early 16c.), from a corruption of Pers. butkada, from but "idol" + kada "dwelling." Or perhaps from or influenced by Tamil pagavadi "house belonging to a deity," from Skt. bhagavati "goddess," fem. of bhagavat "blessed, adorable," from *bhagah "good fortune," from PIE base *bhag- "to share out, apportion".[19]
  13. Orange : through Old French orenge, Medieval Latin orenge and Italian arancia from Arabic نارنج naranj, via Persian نارنگ narang and Sanskrit नारङ्ग naranga-s meaning "an orange tree", derived either from Tamil நாரத்தம் naaraththam orange, நரந்தம் narantham orange, or நாரங்கம் naarangam mandarin-orange, with நாரத்தம் + காய் = நாரத்தங்காய் naaraththangaay in current popular usage .[20][21]
  14. peacock : poucock, from M.E. po "peacock" + coc (see cock (n.)). Po is from O.E. pawa "peafowl," from L. pavo (gen. pavonis), which, with Gk. taos said to be ultimately from Tamil tokei[22] (but perhaps is imitative; Latin represented the peacock's sound as paupulo). The Latin word also is the source of O.H.G. pfawo, Ger. Pfau, Du. pauw, O.C.S. pavu. Used as the type of a vainglorious person from late 14c. Its flesh superstitiously believed to be incorruptible (even St. Augustine credits this). "When he sees his feet, he screams wildly, thinking that they are not in keeping with the rest of his body."[23]
  15. poppadom : via Hindi-Urdu or Punjabi, from Malayalam or Tamil பப்படம் pappaṭam, ultimately Sanskrit पर्पट parpaṭa "a kind of thin cake made of rice or pease-meal and baked in grease" or "a thin crisp cake" (Source: OED)
  16. portia tree : ultimately from Tamil பூவரசு puvarasu (Source: OED)
  17. rice : The English word rice is not borrowed from the Greek word "oruza" ((μαγειρ.) ὄρύζα), as previously thought (and found in older handbooks), nor is it a direct borrowing from Tamil அரிசி arici. The relation between Engl. rice and Tamil அரிசி arici is in fact more complicated, as demonstrated in more recent researches. Although Engl. rice is indeed ultimately from (Old) Tamil, the "rice" word has entered English, through several intermediary languages, notably via Church Latin, (Old) French, (Old) Spanish, (Old) Italian and Arabic.[24]
  18. navigate : From Middle English navigate, from Latin navigo, from nāvis (“ship”) + agō (“do”), from Proto-Indo-European *nau- (boat), possibly, from Tamil நாவாய் (nāvāi).
  19. Singh : via Hindi सिंह Singh finally from Sanskrit सिंहः simhah which means "a lion", from Tamil சிங்கம் singam[25]
  20. sugar : through Old French sucre, Italian zucchero, Medieval Latin succarum, Arabic: سكر sukkar and Persian: شکر shakar ultimately from Sanskrit शर्करा sharkara which means "ground or candied sugar" (originally "grit" or "gravel"), from Tamil சக்கரை sakkarai.[26]

"Mango" derived from "Maangai" a Tamil word for mango fruit.

Words of Tamil and also Malayalam origin

Malayalam is a close sister language of modern Tamil, both of which go back to Old Tamil, the oldest attested member of the Dravidian language family. The following English words of Tamil origin were borrowed from Malayalam and/or Tamil.

  1. betel : from Malayalam വെറ്റില vettila; Tamil வெற்றிலை vettrilai: வெட்ட்ரு "vettru"=plant name + இலை "ilai"=leaf, (Source: OED)
  2. coir : probably from Malayalam കയര്‍ kayar, Tamil 'கயிறு' "kayiru" for rope or thread or to be twisted. (Source: The American Heritage Dictionary)
  3. copra : from the Malayalam word കൊപ്പറ koppara, coconut kernel or Tamil கொப்பரை kopparai / கொப்பறா koppara or Telugu word kobbera(Source: OED, AHD, MWD)
  4. Malayalam : from Malayalam മലയാളം Malayalam, from Tamil மலை malai, mountain, அளம் tract of land, coastal land [27]
  5. Kerala : from Tamil சேர hill; name of ancient Chera kingdom in hilly Kerala region, அளம் tract of land, coastal land [28]
  6. mango : form மாங்காய் maangay, Malayalam borrowing from TAMIL {[Maa (big) + Kaai (unripe fruit) = maangaai}. Final -o of Engl. mango is unexplained. (Sources: OED, http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=mango&searchmode=none)
  7. teak: via Portuguese teca, Malay tekka, from Malayalam തേക്ക് thekku, from Tamil தேக்கு thekku

See also

Notes

The etymologies of on this page are from the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the American Heritage Dictionary, (AHD), and the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary (MWD). It is noted when the dictionaries' etymologies do not agree.

References

  1. ^ "Alvar | Define Alvar at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  2. ^ Česky. "Kabaddi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". En.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  3. ^ "Mung bean | Define Mung bean at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  4. ^ Online Etymology Dictionary
  5. ^ "Poon | Define Poon at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  6. ^ American Heritage Dictionary – Sambal
  7. ^ National Geographic - "The name "anaconda" comes from the Tamil word anaikolra, which means "elephant killer." It is uncertain how a word from the island of Sri Lanka, near India, came to be applied to a snake that lives in the Amazon basin of South America, though it may be because of the anaconda's similarity to Asian pythons."
  8. ^ Oxford. 1991. The Compact Oxford English Dictionary. Second Edition. Clarendon Press, Oxford. ISBN 0-19-861258-3.
  9. ^ "Cash | Define Cash at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  10. ^ "Ape | Define Ape at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  11. ^ Harper, Douglas. "beryl". Online Etymology Dictionary.
  12. ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  13. ^ Harper, Douglas. "chit". Online Etymology Dictionary.
  14. ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  15. ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  16. ^ a b "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  17. ^ "Cowry | Define Cowry at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  18. ^ American Heritage Dictionary – Jaggery
  19. ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  20. ^ "J. P. Fabricius Tamil and English Dictionary". Fabricius, Johann Philipp. J. P. Fabricius's Tamil and English dictionary. 4th ed., rev.and enl. Tranquebar: Evangelical Lutheran Mission Pub. House, 1972 via Univ. of Chicago's Digital Dictionaries of South Asia. Retrieved 2012-11-21.
  21. ^ Harper, Douglas. "orange". Online Etymology Dictionary.
  22. ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  23. ^ "Peacock | Define Peacock at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  24. ^ The term for "rice" (and other related terms, such as pilaf, pilau, etc.) is actually a very ancient Wanderwort that came with the spread of rice cultivation across Asia since the 3rd millennium BCE. The Tamil word goes back to the ancestral Proto-Dravidian form *(v)ari, *variki, which in turn may have been borrowed from Munda *Ə-rig at around 1500 BCE. The Northern Dravidian continuations of Proto-Dravidian *(v)ari, *variki were subsequently transmitted to the Middle East, hence Middle Persian brinj, New Persian berenj, Pashto wriža "(uncooked) rice". The Greek form óruza must have been borrowed from an Iranian source in order to account for the labial element o-. On the other hand, the more recent European forms, Engl. rice, German Reis, French riz, Italian riso, Spanish arroz, etc. have taken a different route, viz. via Arabic al-ruz (al- is the definite article in Arabic), which is closer to the Tamil form. The fact that Tamil arici (or sim.) has entered Arabic, is further sign of the extensive trade between Arab merchants and their Southern Indian counterparts, probably by sea. See further Witzel "Substrate Languages in Old Indo-Aryan", Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies, vol 5, no. 1, 1999, p. 26 ff.
  25. ^ Harper, Douglas. "Singh". Online Etymology Dictionary.
  26. ^ Harper, Douglas. "sugar". Online Etymology Dictionary.
  27. ^ "TamilNet Etymology for Sinhala / Chingka'lam / Ceylon". TamilNet.com. Retrieved 2012-11-21.
  28. ^ "TamilNet Etymology for Sinhala / Chingka'lam / Ceylon". TamilNet.com. Retrieved 2012-11-21.
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