List of loanwords in Malayalam

Loan words in Malayalam, excluding the huge number of words from Sanskrit and Tamil, originated mostly due to the centuries long interactions between the native population of Kerala and the trading (predominantly, spice trading) powers of the world. This included trading contacts with Arabia, Persia, Israel and China spanning millennia, and with European Colonial powers for several centuries.

European contributions

Portuguese

Most of the loan words from Portuguese language are for items which the native population lacked when the encounter with Portuguese empire happened from around the final years of the 15th century. Portuguese was the lingua franca in Africa, Brazil, South Asia and parts of South East Asia during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The Portuguese Empire was the major ruling colonial power in South India during this period, they were first modern European power to encounter India on a large scale, and thus their language had a strong influence on Malayalam (similar to many other Indian languages).

മലയാളം വാക്ക്	Malayalam Word	Meaning	Original form
ആയ	āyā	Maid	aia
അലമാര	alamāra	cupboard	armário
അള്ത്താര	altāra	altar	altar
അണ്ണാറ ചക്ക	Annāra chakka	Pineapple	ananás
അസേന്തി	asenthi	Assistant Priest (In a Parish)	assistente
ബോർമ, ബോർമ്മ	Bōrmba	Oven / Furnace	forno
കപ്പിത്താന്	capitān	captain	capitão
ചായ	chāya	tea	chá
ചാവി	chāvi	key	chave
ചാക്ക്‌	chākku	sack	saco
ഇസ്തിരി	isthiri	to iron, to press	estirar
ഇസ്കൂള്	iskool	School	escola
ജനാല	janāla	window	janela
കളസം	kalasam	shorts/trouser	calção
കപ്പേള	Kappela	Chapel	capela
കാപ്പിരി	kāppiri	black, african	cafre
കറൂപ്പ്	karoopp	A type of fish (Grouper)	garoupa
കസേര	kasera	chair	cadeira
കശുവണ്ടി	kasuvandi	cashew	caju
കടലാസ്‌	kadalas	paper	cartaz
കദ്രീഞ്ഞ	kadreenha	stool	cadeirinha
കോപ്പ	kōppa	cup, dish	copo
കൊവേന്ത	kovenda	convent	convento
കുമ്പാരി	kumbāri	Godparents of your child/ children or Parents of your Godchild	compadre
കുരിശ്‌	kurishu	Cross	cruz
കുശിനി	kushini	kitchen	cozinha
കുനീല്	kuneel	funnel	funil
ലേലം	lelam	auction	leilão
മരയ്ക്കാര്‍	maraikkar	seafarer, sailor, mariner	marinheiro
മേശ	mesha	table	mesa
മേസ്തിരി	mesthiri	foreman, supervisor of (e.g. construction) workers	mestre
നോന	nōnā	Luso Indian lady	dona
ഓസ്തി	ōsthi	Sacramental bread/ wafer	hóstia
പാനോസ്	pānos	Fabrication works (Sheet metal works)	panos
പാര	pāra	Crowbar	barra
പാതിരി	pāthiri	priest, pastor	padre
പാത്രം	paathram	dish, plate	prato
പദ്രിഞ്ഞപ്പൻ	pardinhappan	God Father	padrinho
പദ്രിഞ്ഞമ്മ	pardinhamma	God Mother	madrinha
പപ്പാഞ്ഞി	Pappānhi	Christmas Father (Santa Claus)	Papai Noel
പേന	pena	pen	pena
പേര	pera	pear, guava	pera
പിക്കാസ്	pikkās	Pickaxe	picão
പീലാസ്	peelās	Godchild	afilhado
റാന്തല്	rānthal	lamp, lantern	lanterna
റാത്തല്	rāthal	a Pound (1 lb.), weight of sixteen ounces (16 oz.)	arrátel
റേന്ത	renda	lace work	renda
സാത്താന്	sāttān	satan	satan
സവാള	savāla	onion	cebola
സെമിത്തേരി	semithery	cemetery, burial ground	cemitério
തമ്പാക്ക്	thampākk	tobacco	tabaco
താൾ	thaal	page of a book	talão
തിര	tira	gun shot	tiro
തീരുവ	teeruva	customs duty	tarifa
തൊപ്പി	toppi	hat	topo
തൂവാല	tuvāla	towel	toalha
നങ്കൂരം	nankooram	anchor (of ships)	âncora
ലേസ്, കൈലേസ്	leis, kai-leis	kerchief, handkerchief	lenço
വാത്ത	vātha	Goose	pato
വാര	vāra	A measure (= 1 yard or 3 feet); Original meaning: rod, stick	vara
വരാന്ത	varāntha	open porch	varanda
വീപ്പ	veeppa	wooden cask, barrel	pipa
വീഞ്ഞ്	Veenh	Wine	vinho
വികാരി	vikāri	vicar	vigário
വിനാഗിരി	vināgiri	vinegar	vinagre

The Portuguese language had also taken some words from Malayalam, and they should not be confused vice versa. Pathram is also a Sanskrit word Some examples are jaca for Jack Fruit (from Chakka / ചക്ക in malayalam), manga for mango (from Mangaa / മാങ്ങ in Malayalam.

Dutch

orilathamara	Malayalam Word	Meaning	Original form
അടുതാപ്പ്	aduthappu	potato	Aardappel
കക്കൂസ്‌	kakkūs	Toilet	kakhuis
കള്ക്ക്‌	Kalkku	turkey	Kalkoen
കാപ്പി	Kaappi	coffee	Koffie
കോക്കി	Kokki	Chef/ Cook	kokin
തപാല്	Thapal	Post	Tapal

English

Modern Malayalam dialects use countless number of English words; following are some of the unique ones.

Word	Meaning	Original form
Madaama	A white woman	Madam/e
Maash	Teacher, guru	Master

Middle East contributions

Aramaic or East Syriac

Suriyani Malayalam (or Karshoni), which used the East Syriac script to write Malayalam, was a popular medium of written communication among Saint Thomas Christians in Kerala until the 19th century.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Word	വാക്ക്	Meaning	Original Form
Amma	അമ്മ	Mother	Emma^[4]^[5]
Appan	അപ്പൻ	Father	Abba
Nasrani	നസ്രാണി	Follower of Jesus	Nasraya, Nasrani
Pesaha	പെസഹ	Passover	Pesaha^[2]
Malakha	മാലാഖ	Angel	Malaka^[1]
Kudasha	കൂദാശ	Sacrament	Qudasha^[1]
Mamodisa	മാമോദീസ	Baptism	Mamodisa^[1]^[2]
Sliva	സ്ലീവ	Cross	Sliva^[3]
Easow	ഈശോ	Jesus	Iso'^[1]
Qurbana	കുർബാന	Eucharist (for Holy Mass)	Qurbana^[1]
Mishiha	മിശിഹ	Anointed	Mishiha^[1]^[2]
Dukrana	ദുക്റാന	Remembrance	Dukrana
Kathanar	കത്തനാർ	Syrian priest	Kasnar
Mar	മാർ	Holy man, Saint	Mar
Rooha	റൂഹ	Holy Spirit	Ruha
Shliha	ശ്ലീഹ	Apostle	Shliha
Kabar	കബ്റാ	Grave	Qabra

Arabic

The Arabic language contributes a large number of words into a dialect form of Malayalam that is spoken by the Muslim Mappila community of North Kerala. There are also some common words which are used throughout Kerala.

Word	വാക്ക്	Meaning	Original form
aalam	‌ആലം	world	عالم
baaki	ബാക്കി	balance/remaining	باقي
haajir	ഹാജർ	appear, attend, be present	حاضر
harji	ഹർജി	petition	عريضة
jilla	ജില്ല	District	ضلغة
mahassir	മഹസ്സർ	report	محضر
maithaanam, maithaani	മൈതാനം, മൈതാനി	a ground, an open space area, park	ميدان
nakkal	നക്കൽ	copy (also can mean True copy)	نقل
pinjaanam	പിഞ്ഞാണം	bowl	فنجان
raddh	റദ്ദ്	cancel/give back	رد
taluk	താലൂക്ക്	administrative division	تغلّق
tarjima	തർജ്ജിമ	translation	ترجمة
wakalath	വക്കാലത്ത്	legal authorization	وكالة
vakeel	വക്കീൽ	lawyer/attorney	وكيل

Hebrew

The Hebrew language contributes a large number of words into a dialect form of Judeo-Malayalam that is spoken by the Cochin Jewish community of Kerala.

Malayalam	Meaning	Spelling	Pronunciation
alam	world	עולם	oˈlam
aliya	ascension	עלייה	aliyá
alva	sweet	חלבה	halvah
ba	come	בא	ba
beit kneset	synagogue	בית כנסת	beit-k'néset
Ivrit	Hebrew language	עברית	ivrít
kabar	grave, tomb	קבר	kéver
Mesren, Misri	Egypt, Egyptian	מצרים מצרי	mitsráyim, mitsrí
nivya	prophet	נביא	naví
rabban, ramban	rabbi, teacher, monk	רבי	rabbi
saith	olive	זית	záyit
Sfarad, Sfaradi	Spain, Spaniard	ספרד ספרדי	sfarad, sfaradi
shalom	hello, peace	שלום	shalóm
shalom ayi	death	שלום עליי	shalóm ali
shir	song, music	שיר	shir
sosanna	lily	שושן	shoshán
tapuakh	apple	תפוח	tapúakh
Tora	Torah	תורה	torá
Yavan, Yavana	Greece, Greek (Likely to be derived from "Ionian", the Greeks who lived in Asia Minor)	יוון יווני	yaván, yevani
Yisrael, Yisraeli	Israel, Israeli	ישראל הישראלי	yisra'él, yisra'éli
Yuda, Yehudan	Jew, Jewish	יהודי	y'hudí

Persian

There are a few words of Persian origin in Malayalam, though it is possible many of them could have been indirectly loaned from Urdu.

Word	Meaning	Original form
parangi	Derived from "Firangi" or "Frank" (a Germanic tribe - that gave their name to France), a term that was used to denote all Europeans. Used however almost exclusively for the Portuguese in Kerala, probably because Parangi was mistaken for Portugali as they sound similar. Might have also been used for the Dutch initially	Farangi
godambu	Wheat	Gandom

(Godambu in malayalam meaning "Wheat" is derived from the term "Godhuma" meaning wheat in Sanskrit).

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 A sacredlanguage is vanishing from State, The Hindu
1 2 3 4 Prayer from the Past, India Today
1 2 , NasraniFoundation
↑ "City Youth Learn Dying Language, Preserve It". The New Indian Express. May 9, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
↑ Varghese Pathikulangara (1989, Reprint in 1992, 2004). Mar Thomma Margam. Kottayam: Denha Services. Check date values in: |date= (help)

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