From: selvakum@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (C.R.Selvakumar - Electrical Engineering)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil
Subject: Re: More on achcham, naaNam, madam and payirppu
Date: 15 Oct 92 01:03:32 GMT
Article-I.D.: watserv1.Bw51Lx.DBv
Organization: University of Waterloo

In article <9210130107.AA05805@cec1.wustl.edu>, sp2@cec1.wustl.edu (Sundara Pandian) writes:

   [ a lot of discussion deleted to save bandwidth ]

> 
>              "piNaiyEr mada_nOkkum naaNum  udaiyaatku
>                       ^^^^^
>               aNi_evanO Edhila thandhu."
> 
>    `piNaiyEr mada nOkku' means `like a fawn's shy glance'. [
                                         ^^^^^^^
> piNai  = pen maan kutti (fawn) ] So, here, VaLLuvar uses the
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

     If I may intrude, I wish to point out that "piNai" does not
     mean fawn but means "pen maan = female deer". In fact 'piNai' is a
     generic female name for certain kinds of animals such as 'camel, yak,
     donkey, horse, dog, pig, deer, elephant' although the female deer
     is most often meant - see the usage -> "kalai_yum
     piNaiyum" means 'male and female deer'. kalai is male deer
     and it gets this name because of beautiful 'branching' antlers
     (which the female does not have) [ kalai = branching, parting,splitting]
     The female deer is called 'piNai' because it happily "pairs" with
      the kalai. 'piNai' means 'to join, to tie togather ' 

> word `madam' to mean `iLamai' [young], `adakkam'[modesty] or
> `naaNam'[shyness]. Mu.Va. has taken the meaning `iLamai' for
> `madam' in his translation. From `piNaiyEr mada nOkku',  the
> meaning  `shyness' and `modesty' also follow. Also here VaL-
> Luvar uses the word `madam' as feminine quality in his kuRaL
> as he is describing `kaadhali' [lover] in his kuRaL. One may
> take any of these meanings given here for `madam' as a  fem-
> inine quality.
>                                          Thanks for reading,
>                                             Sundara Pandian.
>                                       [ sp2@cec1.WUSTL.edu ]
> 
> 

    'madam' has many meanings as follows [ from kazhagam dictionary]
     ariyaamai = not knowing ( ignorance might be applicable in some situations)
                 [ I might add that innocence might also be a meaning of
                   ariyaamai]
     azhagu = beauty [ might have come from innocence - a cetain attractiveness]
     menmai = gentleness [ note madanadai means 'pathaviya nadai' or gentle
                         pleasing style of walking, ( < mada = to bend )
     aRappuRam = aRa_chaalai [ establishments to encourage or instill aRam]
     iratham = thEr [ chariot] [ might have got this meaning based on curved
                arch-roof ]
     koyil = temple
     [ it is my guess that the above three meanings might have come from
       innocence > purity , although 'curved' architecture might also be
       a root sense ]
     iNakkam = agreement, togatherness
     kaavadi = the semicircular "kaavadi" taken by Murugan devotees.
                This word must have come from the root sense of mada = bend
     munivar vaasam = hermit ( < gentleness, purity..)
     chaththiram = "free motel with free meal !!"
     iLamai = youthfulness ( one of the root senses of "ilamai" is to bend, 
                     to be supple, not yet fully grown. thus comes from 
                      mada = bend) 
               [ mada_varal = young girl]
     koLuththak koNdathu vidaamai = quality of 'once lit burning incessantly'.
     
     Thus there are at least these 12 meanings for the word 'madam'. 
     In the context in which valaiNYars are discussing, it appears that
     this word has the meaning of "not knowing" which can mean many things.
     For example it can be construed to mean that the woman does not know
     ( not aware of the pleasurable feelings emotional and physical) her
     inner uLLam, inner feelings well enough and only understands partially..
     unsure of herself...etc.
     madam is not a negative quality and it seems to be characteristic of
     peN. It is considered as a great plus point or attractiveness in a woman
     at least as perceived by men. Words such as "madanthai = peN", 
     'mada_pidi' = peN yaanai ( note- pidi itself means a female elephant, 
     thus the mada attribute might mean
     a characteristically female beauty-filled), 'mada_vaayam' = a crowd of
     girls in play or sport.  madaviyar means ladies. 
     
     mada also means encircling (< mada =bend) 
     as in 'madavaLaakam' = koyilai soozhntha theru ( a street going round a
     temple); you might also consider 'maada veethi' having the same meaning.

     Since many words which mean crookedness etc. come from the root sense
     of 'bend' ( even in english crooked means bent), madam also can mean
     "arindhum ariyaathathu pol iruththal". But I think 'madam' means
      'not knowing, less aware, innocent, yet to become aware'

     Hope this throws some more light on the discussion.
 
     anbudan
     Selva Selvakumar
Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil,soc.culture.indian