Some of the words can be traced to specific languages, but others have disputed or uncertain origins. Words of disputed or less certain origin are in the "Dravidian languages" list. Where lexicographers generally agree on a source language, the words are listed by language.
From unknown or disputed Dravidian languages
Aiyo, a word used to express distress, regret and fear, either from Tamil aiyō, Sinhalese ayiyō,[1] or Kannada ayyo or Malayalam aiyyo(അയ്യോ).
Betel, a leaf of a vine belonging to the family Piperaceae; from Portuguesebetel, which probably comes from Malayalam badal(ബദൽ) or Tamil.[2]
Candy, crystallized sugar or confection made from sugar; via Persian qand, which is probably from a Dravidian language, ultimately stemming from the Sanskrit root word 'Khanda'.[3]
Coir, cord/rope, fibre from husk of coconut; from Malayalam kayar (കയർ)[4] or Tamil kayiru (கயிறு).[5] The origin of this word cannot be conclusively attributed to Malayalam or Tamil.
Congee, porridge, water with rice; uncertain origin, possibly from Tamil kanji (கஞ்சி),[6] Telugu or Kannada gañji, or Malayalam kaṇni(കഞ്ഞി)[7]
Coolie, a labourer or slave, a South Asian person; possibly from Tamil cooli (கூலி)[8] or Malayalam kooli(കൂലി) "labour", or possibly from Koḷī "Gujarati people" in Gujarati,[9] which is not a Dravidian language
Cot, a bedstead or a portable bed; via Hindi from Sanskrit,[10] which in turn may have come from a Dravidian source such as Tamil patukkai[11] or Malayalam kattil(കട്ടിൽ).
Cowry, the shells of certain sea snails, or the snails themselves; via Hindi and Urdu from Sanskrit kaparda (कपर्द),[12] which may be related to Tamil kotu (கோது) "shell"[13] or Malayalam Kottu(കോട്ട്).
Curry, a variety of dishes flavored with a spicy sauce; cognates exist in several Dravidian languages,[14] including Malayalam (കറി), Tamil (கறி), Telugu (కూర), and others.
Ginger, a fragrant spice; exact route from Dravidian is uncertain, but possibly from Tamil inchi (இஞ்சி) or Malayalam inchi (ഇഞ്ചി)[15]
Godown, synonym to warehouse; English from Malay, which in turn may have borrowed it from Telugu giḍangi, Tamil kiṭanku,[16] or Malayalam kidangu(കിടങ്).
Gunny, an inexpensive bag; from Sanskrit via Hindi and Marathi,[17] perhaps ultimately from a Dravidian language such as Tulu,In Malayalam Chakku(ചാക്ക്).[citation needed]
Hot toddy, beverage made of alcoholic liquor with hot water, sugar, and spices; from Hindi tari "palm sap", probably from a Dravidian language[18]
Jaggery, coarse brown sugar made from palm and sugarcane; via Portuguese jágara[19] probably from Malayalam chakkara/sharkkara (ചക്കര/ശർക്കര)[20] or Kannada sakkare, having its origins in Sanskrit.[21]
Mango, A tropical fruit;origin probably from Malayalam (മാങ്ങ)[22][23] or Tamil.[24][25]
Mongoose, a small carnivorous mammal from southern Eurasia or Africa, known for killing snakes; probably ultimately from a Dravidian language, with spelling influenced by the English word goose[26]
Mung, a type of bean; ultimately from Sanskrit mudga (मुद्ग), which is the name of the bean and the plant, perhaps via Tamil mūngu (முங்கு) "soak",[27] or Malayalam mudra (മുദ്ര). Alternately, perhaps from mũg (मूँग), the name of the bean in Hindi,[28] which is not a Dravidian language.
Orange, a citrus fruit, or a color named for the fruit; cognates exist in several Dravidian languages,[29] including Malayalam (ഓറഞ്ച്), Tamil (நாரம்) or Telugu (నారింజ).
Pagoda, a religious building; etymology uncertain but perhaps influenced by Tamil pagavadi (பகாவடி) "house belonging to a deity"[30] or Malayalam (പക്കാവട) "Pakkavada".
Pariah, a social outcast; from Tamil paṟaiyar (பறையர்)[31] or Malayalam paṟayan(പറയൻ), "drummer".
Peacock, a type of bird; from Old Englishpawa, the earlier etymology is uncertain, but one possible source is Tamil tokei (தோகை) "peacock feather", via Latin or Greek[32]
Sambal, a spicy condiment; from Malay, which may have borrowed the word from a Dravidian language[33] such as Tamil (சம்பல்), Telugu (సంబల్), or Malayalam (ചാമ്പൽ).
Teak, a tropical hardwood tree; called tekku (தேக்கு) in Tamil, thekku(തേക്ക്) in Malayalam, Telugu teku, and Kannada tegu[34]
Gregory James, a professor with the language center of Hong Kong university believes that more than 100 words in the Oxford English Dictionary have Tamil origin, and there could be even more.[41] The third edition of the OED, published online since 2000, contains approximately 400,000 words.[42]
^Cash in the sense of "small copper coins" entered English from Tamil via Portuguese. Cash in the sense of "ready money" as opposed to invested wealth has a separate etymology, from Latin capsa via Middle French or Old Italian.
^The origin of culvert is unknown. Sources suggest it may come from an obscure technical term among canal diggers or a person's name.[47]
^The origin of bamboo is uncertain. It is thought to have entered English from Malayo-Polynesian languages, which borrowed it from Kannada.[53]
^The origin of dhole is unknown, but some sources suggest a connection to Kannada tōḷa (ತೋಳ).[54]