Kasaragodu Malayalam (glossary) - updated

I want to make a list of Kasaragodu Malayalam words that I mostly use with my daughter.
pronouns:
മോള്‍ -mol- daughter
അപ്പ -appa- father
അമ്മ -amma- mother
ഞാന്‍ -nhan- I
നീ -ni- you
കുഞ്ഞമ്മി -kunhammi-darling
ആണ് -an- male
പെണ് -pen- female
ക്ഡാവ് -kdav- child

Sensory organs
കണ്ണ് -kann- eye
മൂക്ക്-mukk- nose
ചെവി -chevi- ear
നാക്ക് -nakk- tongue

Senses

നോക്ക്‌ -nokk- look

കാണ്ണ് -kan- see

കേക്ക് -kekk- hear

ചൂഡ് -chud- heat

തണക്ക് -tanakk- cool

നമ്ബല -nambala- pain
പൊള്ളു -pollu- burn
കൊള്ളു -kollu- hit/impact
മണ -mana- smell

Speech words

ബിളിക്ക് -bilikk- call

ചെല്ല് - chell- say/speak

പരെ -pare- say
ഓര്‍മ -orma- memory/remember
നിരോണ -nirona- reminder

കൂട്ട്‌ -kutt- noise/shout

Body parts

തല -tala- head

ബായി -bayi- mouth

തനര്‍ -tanar- hair

പല്ല് -pall- teeth

കയ് -kay- hand

കാല്-kal- leg

ബെരെള് -berel- finger

ബയര് -bayar- stomach

പൊര -pora- back
കാദ് -kad- pinna

എരാവു -eravu- wing
തുവല് -tuval- feather

Physical movements

നഡക്ക് -nadakk- walk

ഓഡ് -od- run

തുള്ളു -tullu- jump

പായു -payu- run
ഇരിക്ക്-irikk-sit
നിക്ക്-nikk-stand
തൂച്-tuch-sit
താച്-tach-sleep
കഡക്ക്-kadakk-lie down
ഒറങ്ങ്-orang-sleep

ബ്ഊവ് -b'uv- fall

Physical actions
ഇഡ് -id- put
എഡക്ക്‌-edakk- get/take
തൊഡു -todu- touch
ബെക്ക്‌ -bekk- put back/ return
പിടിക്ക്‌ -pidikk- catch/hold
ബിഡ് -bid- leave/free/release
ചാഡ്‌ -chad- throw
ബലിക്ക്-balikk- pull
തൊരക്ക്‌ -torakk- open
പൊത്ത്-pott- close
അഡിക്ക് -adikk- beat
തയിക്ക് -tayikk- beat
ഉന്ദ് -und- push
ചൊരിയു -choriyu- itch/scratch
പോ-po-go
ബാ-ba-come
കേര്-ker-climb up
കീ-ki-climb down
കൊഡുക്ക്-kodukk- give
താ/തെറു -ta/teru- give (to me)
ഇന -ina- take (from me)
ബാരു- baru- comb (v)
കീരു -kiru- tear
കഡിക്ക് -kadikk- bite

പൊട്ടാക്ക് -pottakk- spoil
പൊട്ടിക്ക് -pottikk- blast/burst

പൊളിക്ക് -polikk- break/destroy
കവ്വ് -kavv- wash
കത്തിക്ക്‌ -kattikk- light
ബിരിക്ക് -birikk- open and spread
പൊദിക്ക്‌ -podikk- cover
തിരിക്ക്- tirikk- turn
ചവട്ട്-chavatt- step on
ചുട്ടു -chuttu- circle(v), go round
പ്ര്‍ക്ക്‌ -prkk- pick
പെര്ദ് -perd- search

Existential words
എന്ദെ -ende- what
ഇന്ഡ് -ind- exists
അല്ല -alla- no (not that)
ഇല്ല -illa- no (doesn't exist)
ബ്ഏണു -b'enu- want
ബ്ഏണ്ഡ -b'enda- don't want
ആക് -ak- do
ആകി -aki- did
ആയി -ayi- done
ആഗ -aga- don't
ആകണ്ഡ-akanda- don't do
കയ്യു-kayyu-can
കയ്യ -kayya- can't
പണി -pani- work

Directions
ആഡ -ada- there
ഈഡ -ida- here
ഏഡ -eda- where
അങ്ങോട്ട്‌ -angott- that direction
ഇങ്ങോട്ട്‌-ingott- this direction
എങ്ങോട്ട്‌ -engott- which direction
മീത-mita-above/top
തായ-taya-below/down
ഉളില്-ulil-inside
പൊരത്ത്-poratt-outside
എദുരു -eduru- front
ബയ്യ -bayya- back

Activities
പാഡ് -pad- sing
കളിക്ക്-kalikk- play
തുള്ള്-tullu- dance
പഡിക്ക്- padikk- learn

Bio-respnose

കരെയു -kareyu- weep

ചിരിക്ക്-chirikk- laugh

ബായി പരെയു -bayi pareyu- scold

Feelings
നല്ലെദ്-nalled-good
മദി-madi-enough

പേഡി -pedi-fear

പട്ടിക്ക് -pattikk- dupe
ചിച്ചി-chichchi-bad

ചൊടി -chodi- anger

Bio movements

പയിക്ക് -payikk- hungry

ബേയിക്ക് -beyikk- eat meal

കൂട്ട്‌ -kutt- eat

കുഡിക്ക് -kudikk- drink

തൂരു -turu- defecate
തുപ്പ്‌ -tuppu- spit
ബ്ആത്ര ബ്ആത്‌ -b'atra b'at- pass urine
ബേര്ക്ക് -berkk- sweat

Changing Environment
മയ -maya- rain
കാറ്റ്‌-katt- wind
ബ്ളക്ക്-b'lakk- light
ഇരുട്ട് -irutt- darkness
കുളിര് -kulir- chill

തി -ti- fire

Still environment
മര -mara- tree
ഏല് -ael- branch
എല -ela- leaf
തയ് -tay- plant
മണ്ണ് -mann- soil/earth
ബ്ള്ളാ -b'lla- water
ചേര് -cher- mire

Articles
ചോര്-chor-rice/meal
ചെരുപ്പ്‌-cherupp-sandals
കാട്ട -katta-waste
ചീര്പു -chirpu- comb(n)

തൊട്ടില് -tottil- cradle
പായ -paya- bed
ബായക -bayaka- banana
പയ -paya- fruit

പൂ -poo- flower

Dwelling
ബ്ആട്ട്-b'att-house
പൊര-pora-house
ബയി -bayi- road
ബാദല് -badal- door
അഡക്കള -adakkala- kitchen
ചൊമര്‌ -chomaru- wall
ബര-bara- boundary wall


Space and Time
കാല്തെ -kalte- morning

ഉച്ചെക്ക്-uchchekk- afternoon

ബ് യട്ട്-b'yatt- evening

രാവ് -rav- night

പാരു-paru-flow/fly

നേര -nera- late
ബേന് -ben- quick/immediate/in advance/fast
തിരുച്ചു -tiruchchu- again/re
പിന്ന -pinna- after/later/again
പുദിയദ് -pudiyad- new
പയദ്-payad- old

കയിയു -kayiyu- elapse/complete

Dimensions and Measurements
കൊര്ച -korcha- little
കൊറേ -kore- plenty
നൊര്ച -norcha- full
ഇത്ര -itra- this much
അത്ര -atra- that much
എത്ര -etra- how much

ബെല്ദ് -beld- big
ചെര്ദ് -cherd- small

ഒന്ന്‌/ ഒരു -onn/oru- one

രണ്ടു -randu- two

Animated objects

പുര്‍ക്ക്-purkk-mosquito
പൂച-pucha-cat
കോയി -koyi- chicken


Unclassified
കിട്ടനെദ് -kittaned- gettng/coming across

ബെര്ദെ -berde- simply/without any reason

The Tulu Tribes - VI

I think in one of the Kannada literary phases, many works came out in spoken Kannada dialects instead of the standard dialect. I suppose Chaduranga and Devanuru Mahadeva were some of the big names of this phase(Termed as Dalita/Bandaya(rebellion) phase). I remember getting irritated while reading their novels when I was in school. For me, the standard dialect itself was the spoken dialect.

That is true for majority of the people in coastal Karnataka region where the language of the land is Tulu. But I belong to Malayalam speaking family. In olden days (probably now too) Malayalam was mockingly called as 'Kaka' language by Tuluvas and Kannadigas. The origin of the name was due to a Muslim Malayali community called Beary. Almost all the Bearys are found in traditional Tulu speaking regions (including northern Kasaragod). In my opinion, the origin and linguistic identity of this community is due to merchant guilds of Kerala.

According to Payyannur Paatu, there were four merchant guilds(of merchants and artisan-merchants) in Kerala. I know three of them;
- Valanjiyar : Probably originated in Karnataka region (Banajigas)
- Anju Varnam : Indigenous to Kerala
- Manigramam : Indigenous to Kerala

My understanding is that, pre-civilization Malayalam and Tulu regions' earliest non-tribal settlers were merchants and artisan-merchants who moved to these regions in order to trade with Arab/European regions in BCE. Most likely they merged with tribal matrilineal communities. The subsequent generations adopted Malayalam language and shamanic culture. This model is crucial for our understanding as we know the Muslim communities mostly grew around merchant communities in Malayalam and Tulu region.

There are arguments that Anju (=five in Malayalam) Varnam and Manigramam were Jewish and Christian merchant guilds respectively. But I would go by the opinion that those were Malayali merchant guilds to which Jews and Christians became attached to in due course[1]. The Muslim, Christian and Jewish merchants of Arab and Persian ancestry who became part of these guilds though linguistically became Malayalis were also able to establish Muslim and Christian core communities through them.

People have speculated that 'Anju Varnam' means fifth Varnam hence the guild of merchants outside the caste system. Since Jews weren't part of the four Varnas, their guild was known as Fifth Varna. But in Malayalam, Varnam in general means 'caste' and not just the Varna as in four fold system. Recently, I came across an article (as usual I didn't bookmark it) on the web about weavers' migration from Tamil Nadu to Balaramapuram in Kerala. The street where they lived was known as 'Anju Varnam' street. The reason being those weavers belonged to five different castes. It can be a mere coincidence in 'Anju' but we can observe that 'Anju Varnam' certainly didn't mean fifth Varna(Isn't that should be anjamate varnam?) or outside the Varnashrama. Therefore, I would think Anju Varnam guild most likely consisted five different castes. It should be noted here that merchant guilds included both regular merchants, artisan merchants and probably some of the occupational groups too. It appears there are few Nairs with family names 'Manigramakkarar' indicating Manigramam guild[1]. This, probably, also gives clue for the origin of 'Shetty' surname for mainly landholding caste of the Tulu region. But which Malayali merchant guild is the initiator of Beary community?

The etymology 'beary' is most likely, as assumed, from Tulu (derived from Magadhi Prakrit) word 'byara' meaning trade/business. In Payyannur Paatu, I have come across the term 'Vepperer' which means traders (Kan/Skt: Vyapari). Now the word Vepperer is cognate with the word Byari. But I can't clearly say, whether Vepperer meant 'merchant guild' or mere merchant. Whatever it is, there could have been Malayali merchant guilds in north Kerala and that the local Tulu people called the traders as Byari. It's possible as Islam moved from south Malabar to north Malabar, the core Muslim communities were already Malayalis and they initiated proselytization in Tulu region. Beary language is spoken with Tulu accent and probably has many Tulu constructs. I would guess the substratum or adstratum of that language is Tulu and a big chunk of the population is Tulu converts. But because of Malayali Muslim reference society(which may have included both native Malayalis and Arab descenders) the whole community became Malayali.

Whatever the origin of the Malayalam language of the Bearys, the local Tuluvas and Kannadigas weren't very impressed by the language. But the result of this, other Kasaragod and Mangalore Malayalis, whose language which was anyway close to Beary language, also had to put up with 'Kaka' stereotype. As traditional illiterate communities they never thought much of the language anyway.

The literacy initially came thro' Kannada, the official language of that region(until Kasaragod moved to Kerala). Ironically, Malayali castes who weren't much comfortable with their own mother tongue, which in their own thought an impure version of Malayalam, were now proud of their 'pure Kannada' as the language they spoke was more bookish. This feeling was not restricted to the castes. On the net, I recently came across a Beary Muslim mentioning that her parents always boasted that they spoke the purest Kannada though their own tongue was not much exulted.

In my case, I could hardly speak the language known as Kasaragod Malayalam. A believe a rebellion streak is required to learn it now considering its lowly position. But I was never a rebel, if anything I'm a pretender. I always considered myself part of the establishment even though a person like me would never fit into the existing establishment.

By linguistics, there exists no pure language governed by the rules of grammar written by men. All are regular languages. So even without any baggage I can learn the language. But most of the time I would be conversing with Malayalis who speak standard dialect. I find it difficult to bring my 'ba'(as in Kasaragod Malayalam) in place of their 'va'(standard dialect) and would always start the words with 'va'. I believe that is because I'm in a region(Telugu) that also uses 'va' in those words. When it comes to retroflex approximant 'zh' (which I can't produce anyway), instead of my palatal approximant 'ya'(as in Kasaragod Malayalam), I tend to use Kannada/Tamil lateral approximant, 'La'.

Reference:
1. The Trading Community in Early Tamil Society Up to 900 AD, By R. Jeyasurya/R. Jayasurya/R. Jayasuriya