Where does “நினைவூட்டு” come from?

நினைவூட்டு (Tamil) comes from Tamil ஊட்டு, from Tamil உண், from Proto-Dravidian *uHṇ — to eat, drink.

Ancestry of “நினைவூட்டு”, step by step

நினைவூட்டு traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Tamil ஊட்டு

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tamilஊட்டுto put small quantity of food into the mouth, as of a child, of a sick person
2Tamilஉண்to eat
3Proto-Dravidian*uHṇto eat, drink

via Tamil நினைவு

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tamilநினைவுmemory; mind
2Tamilநினைto think
Every word from Proto-Dravidian *uHṇ →Every word from Tamil உண் →Every word from Tamil ஊட்டு →
நினைவூட்டு — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer