Where does “நென்மா” come from?

நென்மா (Tamil) comes from Tamil மா, from Old Tamil 𑀫𑀸, from Sanskrit महा, from Proto-Indo-Aryan maźʰā́, from Proto-Indo-Iranian maȷ́ʰā́, from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s — big, great.

நென்மா (Tamil): rice flour

Definitions

  1. rice flour

Ancestry of “நென்மா”, step by step

நென்மா traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Tamil மா

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tamilமாanimal, beast; horse; elephant
2Old Tamil𑀫𑀸big
3Sanskritमहाcombining form of महत्; buffalo; great, large,...
4Proto-Indo-Aryanmaźʰā́
5Proto-Indo-Iranianmaȷ́ʰā́big, great
6Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂sbig, great

via Tamil நெல்

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tamilநெல்rice plant, paddy (Oryza sativa)
Every word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂sEvery word from Proto-Indo-Iranian maȷ́ʰā́Every word from Proto-Indo-Aryan maźʰā́