Where does “Malayalam” come from?
Malayalam (Malay) comes from Malayalam മലയാളം, from Malayalam മല, from Sanskrit मूल — root; radish; base, foundation.
Malayalam (Malay): Malayalam
Ancestry of “Malayalam”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Malayalam | മലയാളം | — |
| 2 | Malayalam | മല | hill; mountain |
| 3 | Sanskrit | मूल | root; radish; base, foundation |