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Learn Tamil Through TFM

Topic started by tigger (@ 68.78.33.162) on Sun Apr 13 12:13:57 EDT 2003.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Hi all,

I have learnt lots of Tamil words through tfm, but there are so many words that I still dont know the meaning of. I would love to improve my Tamil vocabulary, but resources are limited. I was wondering if we can have a thread that helps out in this regard. People post the words they dont understand and someone who knows responds with the answer. For this to succeed the old-timers have to get involved, bcos I dont know many younger guys who know much Tamil words :)

Ex.

1. samsaaram enbathu veenai..santhosham enbathu raagam.. xxx xxx illai
I used xxx because I dont even know what he was saying. was it "salanam galadhi illai"? What does that mean?

2. En mana vaanil siragai virikkum.. from Kasi. There is a line kalakalakala vena thulli kuthikkum sinnanchiru kalaiyey.. what does kalai mean?

3. Anjanam. What does it mean? (Used in various songs)

4. Uchi vaguntheduthu pichu poo vacha kili..What does this mean?

Please answer people!

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Chella (@ 202.54.102.178) on: Tue Jun 10 13:46:03 EDT 2003
  
  Can I know the Tamil word for 'University' ?
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Tue Jun 10 14:29:01 EDT 2003
  
  chella: 'Palkalaikkazhagam' is the equivalent of 'university'. It used to be 'sarvakalaasaalai'. pal = many,numerous; kalai = art; kazhagam = organization,union etc
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Tue Jun 10 14:34:19 EDT 2003
  
  chella: In this context kazhagam is used to denote a college or meeting place of several arts.
  
  
• From: Cinema Virumbi (@ 203.197.220.210) on: Wed Jun 11 00:35:49 EDT 2003
  
  Friends,
  
  Sometime back, some of you were interested in knowing the Tamil equivalent of bicycle. Though 'midhivaNdi' is the popular term because of its simplicity, there was another one- to- one equivalent 'eeruruLi'. Though technically perfect, it was found outlandish by the common man who rejected it outright!
  
  
• From: Prabhu (@ 203.199.143.149) on: Wed Jun 11 01:10:30 EDT 2003
  
  Thanks Raj.
  What is the meaning of Pothigai and Kairali(malayalam)
  
  
• From: Cinema Virumbi (@ 203.197.220.210) on: Wed Jun 11 01:48:31 EDT 2003
  
  Prabhu,
  
  As far as I know, Kerala(m) itself comes from Kera (Sanskrit), meaning coconut. Kairali is anything that is Keralian!!!
  
  Pothigai is the name of a mountain (range).
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Wed Jun 11 11:45:27 EDT 2003
  
  Prabhu: A linguist once explained to me that Kerala is the shortened form of Keralaputhram, an ancient kingdom under the ancient Chera empire. Part of what is now Kerala was ruled by the Cheras. He also thought that it might be a variation of Chera. Cinema Virumbi might be right. Only a Keralite can throw more light. Pothi in Tamil stands for hill or mountain.
  
  
• From: Kupps (@ 203.199.209.101) on: Thu Jun 12 04:24:21 EDT 2003
  
  and ofcourse, pothigai refers to western ghats. in TFM we might have noticed pothigai malaichchaaral etc. it usually applies to the climate prevailing places like ambasamudram, kutraalam, theni, kambam, bodi, kovai etc. during the jul-oct period. These are the thamizhnadu places that are near the western ghat's eastern slope.
  
  oh! yes, pothigai due to this releason is related to plesantness also, though it doesn't mean that, it just implies that.
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Thu Jun 12 15:22:52 EDT 2003
  
  kupps: Podhigai is also known as the mountain where Agasthiya (Agathiyar) stayed, when he came to the south.
  
  
• From: KP (@ 161.150.2.31) on: Mon Jun 16 09:57:20 EDT 2003
  
  Raj and others, i need 2 other clarifications
  
  in the song 'idhayam pogudhe' jency sings
  'varavendum vaazhvil neer kungumam'
  
  what is neer kungumam?
  
  and what is the meaning of romaanjanam?
  
  
• From: interpreter (@ 4.41.45.232) on: Mon Jun 16 10:25:20 EDT 2003
  
  KP,
  
  The line in 'idhayam pogudhe' is "tharavendum vaazhvil nee kungumam", which makes it pretty much self-explanatory. She expresses her wish to become the hero's wife.
  
  IMHO, 'romaanjanam' means 'pullarithal'. As far as I know, this word has a Sanskrit origin ('rOman' meaning hair and 'ancha:'referring to the hair standing up due to thrill, joy, fear, etc.) Assuming this word occurs in a love song, the person is talking about a state of ecstasy or joy which results in the hair standing up, causing goosebumps.
  
  
• From: KP (@ 161.150.2.31) on: Mon Jun 16 10:41:36 EDT 2003
  
  Thanks interpreter..im 99% sure jency sings 'neer kungumam', but i will listen to the song again.
  
  
• From: other_side (@ 209.166.128.18) on: Mon Jun 16 11:00:38 EDT 2003
  
  a doubt from slang
  what is "Pattaiya kellapuraen paaru"
  you always hear this before a dapanguthu song.. what is the meaning?
  
  
• From: minnal (@ 64.3.235.62) on: Mon Jun 16 11:14:09 EDT 2003
  
  hi,
  
  What is the meaning of "aalinganam" ?.
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Mon Jun 16 11:20:38 EDT 2003
  
  KP: I am not familiar with the song. Can you provide me a link? Kumkumam actually means saffron, the most expensive spice. What married woman wears on the forehead is saffron colored powder to signify marital status.
  other_side: I think it is 'padaiyai kilappuren', meaning 'I will mobilise the army!'. padai is army and kilappu is raise/activate/mobilise etc. Paaru is see as you know. He probably says ' wait and see, I will bring my gang.'
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Mon Jun 16 11:30:50 EDT 2003
  
  Minnal: Aalinganam means 'embrace' or 'katti thazhuvuthal' in Tamil.
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Mon Jun 16 11:39:33 EDT 2003
  
  Minnal: I forgot to mention that 'aalinganam' is a Sanskrit word. Simpler Tamil equivalent is 'kattippidithal' or 'hug' in English.
  
  
• From: KP (@ 161.150.2.31) on: Mon Jun 16 12:06:59 EDT 2003
  
  Raj heres a link
  
  http://www.coolgoose.com/go/song?id=57093
  
  This particular line is the last one in the 3rch charanam
  
  
• From: interpreter (@ 4.41.45.232) on: Mon Jun 16 12:17:26 EDT 2003
  
  other_side,
  
  "pattaiya keLappurathu" is a Madurai area slang. It has the same meaning as "dhooL keLappurathu" and is the equivalent of "kalakkurathu" in today's popular slang - "kicks ass" or "rocks" in English!
  
  
• From: Prabhu (@ 203.199.143.148) on: Mon Jun 16 12:46:50 EDT 2003
  
  Thanks guys, I thought romaanjanam means 'romance' :)
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Mon Jun 16 12:54:59 EDT 2003
  
  Interpreter: Thanks for the origin of the phrase.
  Pattai also means skin or hyde. There was a practice in olden days to whip (chattai adi) those who misbehave, especially farm workers. The threat was to whip them until their skin peels or lifts. Could it be that this phrase was used for that threat? 'pattai pirinjidum'?
  
  
• From: tigger (@ 205.219.204.23) on: Mon Jun 16 17:50:17 EDT 2003
  
  song: kathal vaibogamey
  what is vaibogam?
  
  song: raasaathi en usuru ennathilla
  line: karisakaatu odaiyiley kandaangi thovaikayiley
  line: karuvelam kaatukulley..
  what are karisakaadu, karuvelam kaadu etc?
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Mon Jun 16 18:01:32 EDT 2003
  
  tigger: vaibogam is corrupted version of vaibavam. It means event or auspicious event.
  Karisal is black or burnt. Karisalkaadu probably refers to land with black soil. Karuvelam is a tree with thorns and yellowish flowers. In some areas it is also called karuvai maram. People used the sap from karuvelam tree as glue. Odai is stream or small river. Kandangi refers to a sari. Thovai is wash.
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Mon Jun 16 18:17:07 EDT 2003
  
  tigger: Vaibogam is also used as ' grand celebration of wedding' . It is probably more appropriate here.
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Mon Jun 16 20:42:01 EDT 2003
  
  tigger: I was listening to some carnatic music. There is a song ' Seethaa kalyana vaibogame' celebrating the beginning of the wedding of Rama and Seetha. I have also heard it sung as 'Seethaa kalyana vaibavame' and the lyrics has both words used. Looks like both are correct. One is probably a variation of the other. Just a clarification. MIO has the song.
  
  
• From: Kupps (@ 203.199.209.101) on: Tue Jun 17 01:41:14 EDT 2003
  
  afaik
  
  vaibavam, a sanskrit word, means an event (could be auspicious and non-auspicious).
  
  vaibogam is celebration during an event (eg. kalyaaNa vaibogam means celebration during a marriage).
  
  owing to these meaning both "seetha kalyaaNa vaibogamae" and "seetha kalyaaNa vaibavamae" are correct sentences but mean differently.
  
  
• From: Cinema Virumbi (@ 203.197.220.210) on: Tue Jun 17 02:08:22 EDT 2003
  
  Kupps,
  
  I think 'Vaibhavam' itself means an auspicious event . A simple event (auspicious or otherwise) would have been 'Sambhavam'.
  
  
• From: Kupps (@ 203.199.209.101) on: Tue Jun 17 04:25:35 EDT 2003
  
  CV,
  
  I agree. Thanks for the correction.
  
  
• From: Prabhu (@ 203.199.143.148) on: Tue Jun 17 05:30:40 EDT 2003
  
  siththinai asiththudan inaiththaay - angu
  saerum aimboodhaththu viyanulagam amaiththaay
  
  Pls translate the above lines. aimboodham must be the same as 'panchabhoodham'. What are the 5 panchabhoodhams and when/by whom were they first classified?
  
  
• From: KP (@ 161.150.2.31) on: Tue Jun 17 07:22:42 EDT 2003
  
  interpreter,raj
  
  I listened to 'idhayam pogudhe'(more carefully this time) again and jency sings 'varavendum vaazhvil neer kungumam'
  but this could be another mispronounciation nightmare from jency(in the same song she sings 'arumbaahumo' instead of arumbaagumo , malaraahi instead of malaraagi and 'vasanthanga' instead of vasanthangaL)
  
  
• From: interpreter (@ 4.41.45.232) on: Tue Jun 17 08:43:34 EDT 2003
  
  Prabhu,
  
  Wish I knew the context. Can you please provide the source? This definitely sounds like a piece extolling the powers and/or virtues of God, specifically of the creation process itself. Here is a feeble attempt at an interpretation:
  
  siththinai asiththudan inaiththaay - angu
  saerum aimboodhaththu viyanulagam amaiththaay
  
  "siththu" is the thamizh variation of the Sanskrit "chith", which has many meanings such as thought, intelligence, supreme spirit.
  "asiththu" si the thamizh variation of the Sanskrit "achith", which means something that is devoid of intelligence/understanding, i.e. something material, matter
  
  This gives us the meaning "You brought intelligence/supreme spirit and material/matter together." for the first line.
  
  aimbUthangaL are the five elements of creation - water, earth, heat/light, air, and ether (As for your question, about the origin of this, my guess is they were defined to be "panchabhoothams" whenever we, as a race, started combining rational thoughts with spiritual wonder at the beauty of creation and tried to come up with a paradigm that made sense. It has been quoted many a time in Vedas. Who came up with these as a conclusive and all-encompassing list of elements of creation, I do not know. In our scriptures, it may even be ascribed to God himself, as a quote from him.)
  
  "viyanulagu" is "dEvalOgam". Although it is possible to interpret the second line as God combined the five elements and created "dEvalOgam", I prefer to take a different approach. "viyanulagam" can be split as "viyan" + "ulagam". "viyan" has many meanings, out of which "oRRai" will be appropriate here. "oRRai", when used here gives two connotations - 1. that God made a single, homogeneous entity out of five elements that co-exist, while still retaining their individualities, 2. that there is only one Earth - unique and singular (how special that we are here!) I like the first connotation better, since we can use "saerum aimboodhathu" as a phrase to give the meaning of combining and co-existing. (Also, without getting into the nitty-gritties of grammar, "aimboodhathu" should be read as "aimboodhathaal" to give the correct meaning.)
  
  IMHO, this shows the two ways of looking at creation - one, the coming together of intelligence and matter (read Deepak Chopra for details!) and two, the physical combination of the five elements that comprise Earth and all else required for sustenance of life. The author clearly assigns both to God's supreme powers.
  
  
• From: KP (@ 161.150.2.31) on: Tue Jun 17 10:12:57 EDT 2003
  
  what is 'aalilai' ? Is it aalamara ilai?
  
  Is 'thoongaadhe kannednru ondru' correct? shouldnt it be 'thoongadha kannendru rendu'?
  
  

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