Where does “Chukai” come from?

Chukai (Malay) comes from Malay cukai, from Tamil சுங்கம், from Sanskrit शुल्क, from Dravidian dra, from Proto-Dravidian *cīntu — date palm.

Ancestry of “Chukai”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Malaycukaitax, duty, tariff
2Tamilசுங்கம்duty on goods, customs, tolls
3Sanskritशुल्कduty, fee, toll, custom; price, value; dowry
4Dravidiandra—
5Proto-Dravidian*cīntudate palm
Every word from Proto-Dravidian *cīntu →Every word from Dravidian dra →Every word from Sanskrit शुल्क →
Chukai — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer