Like most Indian languages, Malayalam too has vowels & consonants in separate groups and a set of symbols to indicate the "combinations" (called உயிர்மெய் "uyir mey" in Thamizh).
While many Malayalam words are also common to Thamizh (well, some Malayalam alphabets even resemble Thamizh letters), the Malayalam alphabets are "designed / assembled / grouped" mostly like vadamozhi / Hindi. (For example, different characters for ka / kha / ga / gha / nga are in one set, which is like Hindi and unlike Thamizh.)
That way, to get the Malayalam READING skill, if someone knows Hindi alphabets, it's an advantage.
That way, to get the Malayalam READING skill, if someone knows Hindi alphabets, it's an advantage.
If someone knows only English / Thamizh, they need to embrace this new concept for consonants.
However, the good thing is, we'll first start with vowels - which is more or less like Thamizh!
However, the good thing is, we'll first start with vowels - which is more or less like Thamizh!
Note:
This one is a great resource - the google transliteration tool for Malayalam and I would encourage everyone to use it freely for practicing the words that we'll be using in this course - at least 5 minutes a day (you don't have to know Malayalam, all that is needed is only English typing):
http://www.google.com/intl/ml/inputtools/cloud/try/
This one is a great resource - the google transliteration tool for Malayalam and I would encourage everyone to use it freely for practicing the words that we'll be using in this course - at least 5 minutes a day (you don't have to know Malayalam, all that is needed is only English typing):
http://www.google.com/intl/ml/inputtools/cloud/try/
