WRITTEN BY LONDON SWAMINATHAN

Post No. 9552

Date uploaded in London – –30 APRIL  2021     

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

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tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

I used to cut out and preserve all the ‘word watching’ columns from Times in London during 1994. Before throwing them (30 to 40 cuttings)  into dustbin, I want to share them with you. If I see any correlation between foreign words and Indian words, I used to scribble on it. Here are some words from some paper cuttings which may be of interest to linguists.

Word watching

Agre

Asura ??

To torment or vex, from the OF angrier, modern French aigrir to torment;

See ye not how this foolish hermit agreth and scorneth us, because he hath not be overcome

14-2-1994

Xxxx

Vindicate = vindurai (Tamil)

Xxx

Desipient

Foolish,,silly

Latin desipere= to be void of understanding

(why did I take it? I forgot now!!!!)

Xxx

Greek Vs Tamil

Thanatophidia

A division of Ophidia comprising the venomous snakes

Thanatos =death

I am a brahmin and I praise Yama every day three times in my Sandhya Vandana ritual with many words; one of them is Dathnaaya, which is DEATH in English ; Thanatos is closer to Dathnaaya in Sanskrit

xxx

Ophidia= snakes in Greek

Oviyar = naagar

In Tamil literature Naagar/snake people are called OVIYAR which is related to OPHIDIA in Greek (P=V is seen in many Tamil words)

Xxx

Peck = pikkup pidungal, Pichchup Pidungal (in Tamil)

Xxx

24-5-1994 paper cutting

Mingere Latin to pee (muutram)

Go Miyam (go mutram)

Retro mingent = backwards peeing

Xxx

14-6-1994 paper cutting

Whute =uthal in Tamil = Whistle in English

To whistle, imitative, hence whuting ,whistling

Noun whute

Xxx

6-5-1994

Istana

Astaana

A rulers palace in Malay kingdom from the Malay

Istana = Sanskrit a-sthaana = a place, assembly

Xxx

Towel= Tuvaalai /Thundu

Xxx

Photism

Photismos = illumination

Greek

Phos, photos = light

Bhaskaran

Xxx

Surrepent

Creeping beneath or stealthily

Hence Latin surreptio

Saarai, Sara Sara,,,,,,,

Related to Serpent= Sarpa in Sanskrit

Xxxx

Daub = thadavu, Puusu

Xxx

Pugal in Tamil = Hindi ‘Bhol’ ( said by Dandapani swamikal, Murugadasar)

Xxx

Naunt

An auntie with the initial n run over from man – mine, now dialect and archaic.

May be related to Naaththanaar (sister in law)  in Tamil

Xxx

Inlaik

Lack, want, deficiency or failure from in + laik. The Scottish form of lack.

Illai  in Tamil is No, Without

Date: 5-5-94

Xxxx

Taliera

Thaali (Palmyra Tree)

Thaala patra

An East Indian Palm, Corypha taliera, alllied to and resembling the talipot, but not nearly so high. Botanical Latin from the Bengali taalier, Sanskrit taali, taalafan palm

Xxx

Urtica – thorn in Latin

Uruththu in Tamil Times 7-2-94

Xxxx

Troker

A deceiver, cheat, a rascal, rogue

From old English trucian

Thukri Payal in Tamil

Thukri = Thuukkili in Appar Thevaram ; one who couldn’t know what is right and what is wrong

Xxx

Caveach

Mackerel pickled in certain way.

Karuvaadu is Dried Fish in Tamil;  Kavicha smell (Avicha)

Xxxx

Glareous of soil, gravelly, from the Latin glareosus, glareous gravel

Kalar Nilam (field) , Kal is stone

Times 1-2-94

Xxx

Blurt an eruptive emission of breath from the mouth, especially as expressive of contempt

Blurt = Pulichchendru in Tamil

XXX

Sinaen

Chinese, from the late Latin Sinae, Greek Sinai, Ptolemy, probably an adaptation of the Arabic Siin, the empire of China

Milton in paradise Lost ‘Sinaean king’

Sina (Seena is in Ancient Sanskrit texts)

To be continued………………….

tags – word watching, Indian words