From: selvakum@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (C.R.Selvakumar - Electrical Engineering)
Subject: Tamil, Sanskrit and North Indian Languages
Keywords: Tamil, Sanskrit and North Indian languages, linguistic connection.
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 21:25:23 GMT


The connection between Tamil and other North Indian Languages especially
agricultural and other words which could be considered as "common" 
is presented. In my earlier posting I wrote about "pot". Below, I show
another word commonly used by peasants - "threshing floor"

The North indian language words are taken from R.L.Turner's book.

R.L.Turner's entry No.3834

Sanskrit: khala = 'threshing floor' 
Prakrit: khala = 'threshing floor'           Pali: khala 'threshing floor' 

Assamese: khala = 'place cleared for cooking'Kashmiri: khal = 'threshing floor' 
Begali  : khal = 'threshing floor'           Punjabi : -------------
Oriya   : khaLa = 'threshing floor'          Sindhi  : kharo = 'threshing floor
                                                       khari = 'uncovered encl.
                                                        for storage of grain'
Sinhalese: kala = 'threshing floor'          Phalura : kahaal = ' threshing flr'

Marathi : khaL, khaLe ='thresh. flr'         Hindi   : ------------ 
Guhjarathi: khaLu~, khaLI = 'thrsh flr,      Mythili : ------------
                             granary'  
                                             Bhojpuri: --------------
Nepali  : khalo = 'thrsh flr'                Bihari  : --------------
          khaliyo = 'place to stack wood'

Waigali ( a Kafiri lang): kol = 'thrsh flr'  Pashai ( a dardic): kaal 'th.flr'

R.L.Turner's acknowledgement of root: Derived from Dravidian.
                                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

My comments: In Tamil the word "kaLam" means 'threshing floor'. The expression
             "kaLaththil vElai" means work in the field/threshing floor.
              The senses prevalent in tamil are extremely vast. But it is
              noteworthy that both the sense of "thrsh flr" and "granary"
              (see Gujarathi, Sindhi and Nepali above) are very common. 
              In Tamil kaLam_jiyam is used for granary and generally 
              for a wealthful collection of anything.
              For example it is used for encyclopaedia in Tamil. If 
              someone were to say "kaLanjiya' for encycopaedia for the whole
              India, I think more people will understand and will intuitively
              relate ( I mean the *masses* of India 
              not our Sanskrit Pundits (-: )

              Apart from the sense of threshing floor and granary, the sense 
              of "fighting place' or 'wrestling place' is found in Kumauni 
              language of the north just as in tamil !! In Tamil " pOr_kaLam"
              means war_field. 

              I don't understand why R.L.Turner does not list Hindi, Mythili
              Bihari, Bhojpuri words. i strongly believe there will be words
              in these languages, since there are words in Kafiri-Dardic lang
              Dameli ( Damedi; could this be tamil ??!!) as "khal", Wotapuri
              "khal" and Dardic lang Khowar "khol" etc. have a word.

              I believe that this word "khala" is *not* borrowed from 
              Tamil/Dravidian but a word common to whole of India which
              can be derived and related to other Tamil words. Consider the
              wide distribution of the word. [ Remember Brahui is a dravidian
              language far in the north west]

 There are a number of words in Skt. (1) khalya, (2) khaladhaana, (3) khalapu, 
 (4) khalaprsTa, (5) khalaavaaTa, (6) khaLEdhaanI based on this 
 Tamil/Dravidian "kaLam".

Thanks for listening. 

anbudan (= with regards)
Selva Selvakumar                  (selvakum@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil,soc.culture.indian