Where does “malai” come from?

malai (Indonesian) comes from Malay malai, from Tamil மாலை, from Old Tamil 𑀫𑀸𑀮𑁃 — garland, mala.

malai (Indonesian): panicle

Definitions

  1. panicle

Ancestry of “malai”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Malaymalaigarland, especially an elaborate one adorned with gold, gemstones etc
2Tamilமாலைgarland, wreath of flowers
3Old Tamil𑀫𑀸𑀮𑁃garland, mala
Every word from Old Tamil 𑀫𑀸𑀮𑁃 →Every word from Tamil மாலை →Every word from Malay malai →