Friday, May 31, 2013

Quiz #4 ഉ ഊ ഋ

quiz

1.
ഉണ്ണികൃഷ്ണന് (kEdharaththukku sEdhAram)

2.
ഉള്ളടക്കം ( Mohanlal looked awesome with those specs )

3.
ഋതുഭേദം (Malayalam movie, 1987)

4.
ഊര്മിള (Wife of the twin of Sathrugan, ithihAsam)

5.
ഊര്വശി (thiruppu)

6.
ഉഗാണ്ട (African country)

7.
ഋഷ്യശൃംഗന് (Malayalam movie, also one main character in the Bharathan-MT-Bombay Ravi classic)

8.
ഉത്തരം (Mammootty movie is the answer)

9.
ഉത്തരപ്രദേശ് (Northern state)

10.
ഊമപ്പെണ്ണിനു ഉരിയാടാപ്പയ്യന് (2002 Malayalam movie, Kavya Madhavan as "mARRuth thiRanALi")

Just to warn the uninitiated :

Though we are yet to get formally introduced to the character
, in the context of our lesson of the vowels , I need to stress the existence of such a consonant

That one is "La" with no English / Hindi equivalent but has a Thamizh counterpart
.

So, please don't get confused between
& !

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Lesson 3 ( ഉ, ഊ, ഋ)

, , - I'm adding a third one to this group whose sound is somewhat related.

The first two are not difficult for people who are familiar with Thamizh - they even look like the equivalent Thamizh characters. Similarly, the equivalents for the first two exist in Hindi as well.

The third one among the above is foreign to Thamizh, neither the letter nor the sound exists in that language. OTOH, it exists in Hindi (comes from Sanskrit I think). That way, for the third one, less effort needed for people who are familiar with vadamozhi.

The 5th letter, another vowel, in our effort to learn to READ Malayalam:


(v)u / /

Some words that start with :

മ്മ - உம்ம -उम्म -umma - kiss (The Malayalam word is also used for "Mother" by Islamic community)
ളി - உளி - उलि - uLi - chisel
ച്ച - உச்ச - उच्च - uchcha - noon (uchcha bhakshaNam meaning lunch)
പവാസം - உபவாஸம் (உபவாசம்) - उपवासं - upavAsam – Fasting

Two vinyl cover pics for :ണരൂ - உணரூ - उणरू - uNaroo (music by rAsA, directed by Maniratnam, plum has written about in the Malayalam films thread, the Malayalam word means "wake up" or "arise" )


Please note that the second word of the other movie on this disk too starts with this character


ത്പത്തി - உத்பத்தி - उत्पत्ति - uthpaththi (one meaning is 'genesis'...also used for "produce child" , so someone please confirm if this was an "A" padam )


The 6th letter,


(oo /
/ )

Much like
to , to the extended sound is characterized by an addition of the superscript hook

Some words with
:
ണ് = ஊண் = ऊण = oon (Meal / Rice)
ഞ്ഞാല്‍ = ஊஞ்ஞால் = ऊंजाल = oonjaal (Swing)
ര്‍ജ്ജം = ஊர்ஜ்ஜம் = ऊर्ज्जम = oorjjam (energy)
ട്ടി = ஊட்டி = ऊटटी =ootti (Ooty, Nilgiris)

I could locate only one vinyl at the musicalaya site for . Sharing that picture here:

The word is already listed among the above four (
ഞ്ഞാല്‍, swing)


The 7th letter,

does not exist in Thamizh. The exact equivalent in Hindi is In Thamizh, we can kind of express it as (ஹ்)ரு / (h)ru. Actually, some say it's Rh. (This gets more relevance when used with other consonants, such as the "thru" sound in mAthrubhoomi, മാതൃഭൂമി). In any case, this letter as a separate entity has very limited use in these languages and still categorized with vowels. (I don't know why!)

Some words using this letter:

തു = ருது / ரிது = ऋतु = (h)ruthu (or) (h)rithu = climate / mensuration
ഷി = ரிஷி = ऋषी = rishi = sage
ദ്ധി = ரித்தி = ऋदधि = ridhdhi = growth
ജു = ரிஜு = ऋजु = riju = straight

It's neither a clear "ru" nor a clear "ri" but in-between, with some h sound embedded


That much is my understanding - HindiwAlAs please correct me
I couldn't find any vinyl's with at the musicalaya site, so posting (movie related) pictures from elsewhere :തു (movie maker translates it as "seasons")

Also, let me post the youtube of the IR-KJY classic song
തുഭേദ കല്പന ('rithu bhEdha kalpana')
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KNILI8ctuUw

Monday, March 25, 2013

Answers for short quiz # 3

മ്പലം = ambalam / அம்பலம் / अम्बलम (NT repeatedly says 'thiruchchitrambalam'), means "temple" in Malayalam (and not "expose"). e.g. "vazhi ambalam" means roadside temple.
ലയം = aalayam / ஆலயம் / आलयम (satti suttadhadA). Also means temple but typically used for church. ambalam / aalayam / paLLi (third one predominantly used for church & mosque)
ന്ദ്രന്‍ = indhran / இந்த்ரன் / इन्द्रन (mundhiri is grapes in Malayalam & kottai in Thamizh, which is connected to Indhiran by Vairamuthu in 'andhi mazhai pozhikiRadhu')
സ്റ്റര്‍ = eesttar / ஈஸ்ட்டர்(ஈஸ்ற்றர்) / ईस्टटर (Easter, though not like in the west with eggs & bunnies, Kerala celebrates more than TN due to the sizeable population of churchgoers)

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Another short quiz (#3) for the first 4 letters (അ ആ ഇ ഈ)

അമ്പലം (last part of repeat word - greeting (?) - by "Appar" in thiruvarutchelvar)
ആലയം (NT's vessel is hot)
ഇന്ദ്രന്‍ (Malayalam fruit is Thamizh nut)
ഈസ്റ്റര്‍ (a festival in Kerala)
:)

Answers for Quiz # 2 (ഇ ഈ)

1. ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് () = ingleesh / இங்க்லீஷ் / इंग्लीश (English! Clue explanation : Shalini's husband did "guest" role in vinglish)

2.
നാട് () = ee naadu / நாடு / ईनाडु (Famous 1982 Malayalam movie directed by I V Sasi, starring Mammootty / Balan K Nair)

3.
ഇരിഞ്ഞാലക്കുട () = irinjaalakkuda / இரிஞ்ஞாலக்குட/ इरिन्जालक्कुड (Town with a temple for Bharathan b/o Ram)

4.
ഇന്നസെന്റ് () = innasent / இன்னசென்ட்/ इन्नसेंट (Innocent, comedy actor regularly seen in Sathyan Anthikkad movies)

5.
ഇരുപതാം നൂറ്റാണ്ട് () = irupathaam nooRRaaNdu / இருபதாம் நூற்றாண்டு / इरुपताम नूरराणडु (Famous Malayalam movie of 80's, Mohanlal played the smuggler Sagar alias Jacky, film's title means 20th century)

6.
ഇറ്റലി () = iRRali / இற்றலி (இட்டலி) / इर्रली (Italy. Clue: alleged name of Rahul Gandhi)

7.
ഈശ്വരന്‍ () = eeshwaran / ஈஷ்வரன் / ईश्वरन (Means God, who happens to get called when some people are in distress. In USA, 9-1-1 is the distress call number)

8.
.എം.എസ്.നമ്പൂതിരിപ്പാട് () = E.M.S.namboothirippaat / . எம். எஸ். நம்பூதிரிப்பாடு / . एम् . एस . नाम्बूतिरिप्पाट (First Kerala CM, party CPIM, IR now doing music for a movie called "EMS-um oru peN kuttiyum")

9.
ഈട്ടി () = eetti / ஈட்டி / ईटटी (Means both spear & Rosewood. Rosewood is also called veetti in Malayalam)

10.
ഈജിപ്റ്റ് () = eejipt / ஈஜிப்ட் / ईजिप्ट (Egypt, where child Moses was fetched from water by princess per Bible, Hollywood movie "The Prince of Egypt")

Bonus :
ഇടുക്കി () = itukki / இடுக்கி / इटुक्की (Idukki. Note the second letter in Malayalam which uses 'T'. Though Malayalam has a different character for d, often "t" is used but pronounced D, much like Thamizh. It's funny to me. BTW, the clue is 3 & 6 i.e. moonARu)

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Quiz #2 for Lesson # 2 (ഇ ഈ)

1. ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് (Hospitality for the hubby of mallu bommukkutty)

2.
നാട് (Alleged to be the first big political movie in Malayalam)

3.
ഇരിഞ്ഞാലക്കുട (Site of the only temple in country for a king who kept sandals on throne)

4.
ഇന്നസെന്റ് (Nice comedy actor who is from the answer for Q #3 above)

5.
ഇരുപതാം നൂറ്റാണ്ട് (Jacky alias Sagar)

6.
ഇറ്റലി (Raul Vinci)

7.
ഈശ്വരന്‍ (911 for some people)

8.
.എം.എസ്.നമ്പൂതിരിപ്പാട് (CPIM meets Ilayaraja)

9.
ഈട്ടി (Convert murder tool into a sofa)

10.
ഈജിപ്റ്റ് ("child from water" became rAjkumAr here - biblical / hollywood)

Bonus :
ഇടുക്കി (District where two numbers bring tourists)