Where does “கண்மாய்” come from?

கண்மாய் (Tamil) comes from Tamil வாய், from Proto-Dravidian *wāy — mouth (edge, beak, mouth of vessel, aperture, blade of sword).

கண்மாய் (Tamil): lake, irrigation tank

Definitions

  1. lake, irrigation tank

Ancestry of “கண்மாய்”, step by step

கண்மாய் traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Tamil வாய்

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tamilவாய்mouth; beak of birds
2Proto-Dravidian*wāymouth (edge, beak, mouth of vessel, aperture, blade of sword)

via Tamil கம்

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tamilகம்
Every word from Proto-Dravidian *wāy