List of English words of Dravidian origin

Distribution of Dravidian languages

Dravidian languages are a language family spoken primarily in South India, and in certain other pockets in South Asia. The most commonly spoken Dravidian languages are Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam.

This is a non-exhaustive list of English words that are borrowed directly or ultimately from Dravidian languages. While the origin of some of the words can be traced to specific languages, others have disputed or uncertain origins, which are listed separately.

Probable Dravidian origin or origin from multiple Dravidian languages

Malayalam

Tamil

In 2011, Gregory James from the Language Centre of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology stated that 107 words in the 2011 edition of the Oxford English Dictionary were of Tamil origin, and there are additional words of Tamil origin that have not appeared in the dictionary.

Telugu

See also

Notes

References

  1. ↑ Kolichala, Suresh (2016). "Dravidian Languages". In Hans Henrich Hock; Elena Bashir (eds.). The Languages and Linguistics of South Asia: A Comprehensive Guide. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter Mouton. p. 76. ISBN 978-3-11-042715-8.
  2. ↑ Steever, Sanford B. (2020). "Introduction to the Dravidian Languages". The Dravidian Languages (2nd ed.). Routledge. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-138-85376-8.
  3. ↑ Krishnamurti, Bhadriraju (2003). The Dravidian Languages. Cambridge University Press. pp. 20–21. ISBN 0-521-77111-0.
  4. ↑ "Aiyo". Lexico. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022.
  5. ↑ "Aiyo". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016.
  6. ↑ "Anaconda (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  7. ↑ "Anaconda (n.), Etymology". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "Bamboo (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 30 November 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  9. ↑ "Betel (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  10. ↑ "Candy (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  11. ↑ "Cash (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 8 September 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  12. ↑ "Catechu". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "Coir (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  14. ↑ "Coir". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 1 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  15. ↑ "Coolie". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  16. ↑ "Coolie (n.), Etymology". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  17. ↑ "Copra". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 13 December 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  18. ↑ "Copra". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 3 November 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  19. ↑ "Cot (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  20. ↑ "Cot (n.4)". Oxford English Dictionary. Archived from the original on 21 March 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  21. ↑ "Cowrie (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  22. ↑ "Cowrie (n.), Etymology". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  23. ↑ "Dhole (noun)". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  24. ↑ "Dhole". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  25. ↑ K. T. Achaya (November 2003). The Story of Our Food. Universities Press. p. 80. ISBN 81-7371-293-X.
  26. ↑ "Dosa: A timeless breakfast staple rooted in Tamil heritage". The Times of India. 29 April 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 31 May 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  27. ↑ P. Thankappan Nair (2004). South Indians in Kolkata. Punthi Pustak. p. 320. ISBN 978-8-186-79150-9.
  28. ↑ "Dosa". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  29. ↑ "Ginger (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  30. ↑ Patil, Dinkarrao Amrutrao (2007). Origins of Plant Names. Daya Publishing House. p. 286. ISBN 978-8-170-35460-4.
  31. ↑ "Godown". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  32. ↑ "Gunny, (n.1)". Oxford English Dictionary. Archived from the original on 21 March 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  33. ↑ "Gunny (noun)". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on 13 October 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  34. ↑ "Toddy". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  35. ↑ "Idli (n.), Etymology". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  36. ↑ Edward R. Farnworth (2003). Handbook of Fermented Functional Foods. CRC Press. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-849-31372-1.
  37. ↑ "Jaggery (noun)". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on 13 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  38. ↑ "Jaggery (n.), Etymology". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  39. ↑ "Mango". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  40. ↑ "Mango (noun)". Merriam-Webster. 9 March 2024. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  41. ↑ "Mango". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  42. ↑ "Mongoose". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  43. ↑ "Mongoose (noun)". Merriam-Webster. 9 March 2024. Archived from the original on 5 December 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  44. ↑ "Mung bean". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  45. ↑ "Mung (n.2), Etymology". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  46. ↑ "Orange (n.1 and adj.1), Etymology". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
  47. ↑ "Pagoda". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 11 December 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  48. ↑ "Poon (noun)". Merriam-Webster. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  49. ↑ "Poon". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  50. ↑ "Pariah (n. and adj.), Etymology". Oxford English Dictionary. Archived from the original on 3 May 2025. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
  51. ↑ "Peacock". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 22 January 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  52. ↑ "Sambal". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 7 November 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  53. ↑ "Teak". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  54. ↑ "Areca". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 24 March 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  55. ↑ "Jackfruit". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  56. ↑ "For this professor, tracking Tamil words in English is a passion". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  57. ↑ "Alvar". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  58. ↑ "Alvar (noun)". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  59. ↑ "Anicut (noun)". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  60. ↑ "Catamaran". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  61. ↑ "Cheroot". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  62. ↑ "Congee (noun)". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  63. ↑ "Corundum". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  64. ↑ "Curry". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  65. ↑ "Mulligatawny". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 26 December 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  66. ↑ "Patchouli". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 3 July 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  67. ↑ "Pandal". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 20 February 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  68. ↑ "Vetiver". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on 5 January 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  69. ↑ "Bandicoot". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  70. ↑ "Pitta". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  71. ↑ "Pitta". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 8 June 2025. Retrieved 1 March 2026.