Description: Read more about the origin, etymology and dialectical influence of Malayalam language, one of the Dravidian languages spoken in Kerala. The word ‘Malayalam’ may have been a local dialect in the beginning and thefirst part in the word ‘Mala’ may refer to hill, and the last part ‘Alam’ to the depths of the ocean.....So the word ‘Malayalam’ may refer to the land lying between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.
origin (238) etymology (41) malayalam language kerala bhasha malayampazha malayalim malayanma malayazhma grammer text leelathilakam dravidian language
Etymology of Malayalam The word ‘Malayalam’ may have been a local dialect in the beginning. The first part in the word ‘Malayalam’, ie, ‘Mala’ may refer to hill, and the last part ‘Alam’ to the depths of the ocean (‘Alam’ over the years transformed to Azham’ meaning ‘depths’). So the word ‘Malayalam’ may refer to the land lying between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. Or, ‘Alam’ may be the ‘alam’ in words like Kovalam, Pandalam etc, meaning ‘place’. If that be so, Malayalam refers to a hilly region. I