A Dravidian language of southwestern India and the official language of Kerala — known for its complex script and one of the highest literacy rates in India.
Where it’s spoken
Malayalam is the official language of the Indian state of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, with about 38 million native speakers. Major Malayali diaspora communities live in the Gulf states (Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar — Keralites are among the largest migrant communities), Singapore, Malaysia, the United States, the UK, and Canada.
What it sounds like
Malayalam is closely related to Tamil but has been more strongly influenced by Sanskrit. It has all five Dravidian places of stop articulation, plus aspirated stops from Sanskrit. Its phonology includes a unique series of retroflex consonants and three sibilants. Word stress is typically initial.
How it’s written
Malayalam script is a Brahmic abugida that branched from a common ancestor with Tamil. Its letterforms are highly rounded and curvy, with elaborate ligatures and complex conjunct consonants. A 1971 script reform simplified some character forms; older texts use traditional forms.
History
Old Malayalam diverged from Middle Tamil around the 9th–13th centuries. The 16th-century poet Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, called the father of modern Malayalam, standardized the language and script. Kerala’s high literacy and active publishing industry have given Malayalam vigorous literary life.
Find more languages by letter
Malayalam starts with M . Browse other languages along the same letter.
Languages that contain a letter from "Malayalam":