Where does “helai” come from?

helai (Malay) comes from Tamil இலை, from Old Tamil 𑀇𑀮𑁃, from Proto-Dravidian *elay.

helai (Malay): classifier for thin, flat, flexible objects such as cloth, paper, leaves, or shirts

Definitions

  1. classifier for thin, flat, flexible objects such as cloth, paper, leaves, or shirts

Ancestry of “helai”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tamilஇலைleaf; betel leaf
2Old Tamil𑀇𑀮𑁃leaf
3Proto-Dravidian*elay—

Words derived from “helai”

Every word from Proto-Dravidian *elay →Every word from Old Tamil 𑀇𑀮𑁃 →Every word from Tamil இலை →