Proto-Dravidian
Proto-language (reconstructed) · historical / hidden variety
Proto-Dravidian is the reconstructed ancestor of the Dravidian family of southern and central India (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and others). It is variously dated to roughly the 4th–3rd millennium BCE; the absolute date is unsettled, and recent Bayesian phylogenetic work (Kolipakam et al. 2018) estimates the family root near ~2500 BCE. Some scholars link it to the Indus region, though this remains unproven.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Proto-Dravidian
Water
*nīr
/nīr/
Fire
*tī
/tī/
Sun
—
/—/
Moon
*nilā
/nilā/
Star
—
/—/
Mother
*amma
/amma/
Father
*appa
/appa/
I
*yān
/yān/
You
*nī
/nī/
Name
*peyar
/peyar/
Eye
*kaṇ
/kaṇ/
Hand
*kay
/kay/
Heart
*neñcu
/neñcu/
Love
—
/—/
Tree
*maram
/maram/
House
*il
/il/
Dog
*nāy
/nāy/
Cat
—
/—/
Eat
*uṇ
/uṇ/
Drink
*kuṭi
/kuṭi/
One
*oru
/oru/
Two
*iraṇṭu
/iraṇṭu/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
*nal
/nal/
Sources
- Krishnamurti (2003) The Dravidian Languages
- Burrow & Emeneau, Dravidian Etymological Dictionary (DEDR)
Words compared
Compared with related Proto-language (reconstructed) languages
| Meaning | Proto-Dravidian | Kuvi | Kodava | Tamil | Proto-Japonic-Koreanic | Umbrian | Proto-Kra-Dai |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | *nīr /nīr/ | ēru /eːru/ | ನೀರ್ /niːr/ | நீர் /niːɾ/ | — /—/ | utur /ˈu.tur/ | *naːm /naːm/ |
| Fire | *tī /tī/ | nēsi /neːsi/ | ಬೆಂಕಿ /beŋki/ | தீ /tiː/ | — /—/ | pir /pir/ | *vɤj /vɤj/ |
| Sun | — /—/ | vēla /ʋeːla/ | ಪೊತ್ತ್ /pottɨ/ | சூரியன் /suːɾijan/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | *nilā /nilā/ | lēnʒu /leːndʒu/ | ತಿಂಗಳ್ /tiŋɡəɭ/ | நிலா /nilaː/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Star | — /—/ | sukka /sukka/ | ನಕ್ಷತ್ರ /nakʂat̪ra/ | நட்சத்திரம் /naʈɕat̪t̪iɾam/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Mother | *amma /amma/ | āva /aːʋa/ | ಅವ್ವ /avva/ | அம்மா /ammaː/ | *əma /əma/ | matrer /ˈma.trer/ | — /—/ |
| Father | *appa /appa/ | bāva /baːʋa/ | ಅಪ್ಪಯ್ಯ /appajja/ | அப்பா /appaː/ | *əpa /əpa/ | patre /ˈpa.tre/ | — /—/ |
| I | *yān /yān/ | nānu /naːnu/ | ನಾನ್ /naːn/ | நான் /naːn/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | *kuː /kuː/ |
| You | *nī /nī/ | īnu /iːnu/ | ನೀನ್ /niːn/ | நீ /niː/ | — /—/ | tu /tuː/ | — /—/ |
| Name | *peyar /peyar/ | paru /paɾu/ | ಪೆದ /peda/ | பெயர் /pejaɾ/ | — /—/ | nome /ˈnome/ | *ɟɯː /ɟɯː/ |
| Eye | *kaṇ /kaṇ/ | kannu /kannu/ | ಕಣ್ /kaɳ/ | கண் /kaɳ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | *taː /taː/ |
| Hand | *kay /kay/ | key /kei̯/ | ಕೈ /kai/ | கை /kaj/ | — /—/ | manuv-e /ma.ˈnu.we/ | *mɯː /mɯː/ |
| Heart | *neñcu /neñcu/ | gunde /ɡunde/ | ಎದೆ /ede/ | இதயம் /idajam/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | ಪ್ರೀತಿ /priːti/ | காதல் /kaːdal/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | *maram /maram/ | mara /mara/ | ಮರ /mara/ | மரம் /maɾam/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | *maːj /maːj/ |
| House | *il /il/ | illu /illu/ | ಮನೆ /mane/ | வீடு /ʋiːɖu/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | *nāy /nāy/ | nēyi /neːji/ | ನಾಯಿ /naːji/ | நாய் /naːj/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | *hmaː /hmaː/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | பூனை /puːnaj/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | *uṇ /uṇ/ | tinba /tinba/ | ತಿನ್ನ್ /tinnɨ/ | சாப்பிடு /saːppiɖu/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | *kuṭi /kuṭi/ | unba /unba/ | ಕುಡಿ /kuɖi/ | குடி /kuɖi/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | *oru /oru/ | ōnte /oːnte/ | ಒಂದ್ /ondɨ/ | ஒன்று /ondru/ | — /—/ | unu /ˈu.nu/ | *nɯŋ /nɯŋ/ |
| Two | *iraṇṭu /iraṇṭu/ | rīndi /riːɳɖi/ | ದಂಡ್ /daɳɖ/ | இரண்டு /iɾaɳɖu/ | — /—/ | dur /dur/ | *soːŋ /soːŋ/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | வணக்கம் /ʋaɳakkam/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | ಧನ್ಯವಾದ /dʱanjavɑːda/ | நன்றி /nandri/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | *nal /nal/ | nēha /neːha/ | ಒಳ್ಳೆ /oɭɭe/ | நல்ல /nalla/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
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