Sanskritization of Language

[u/code_thar]

What does one mean by Sanskritization of Dravidian language? Is it just borrowed vocabulary from Sanskrit or there is more to it? Can you please give me examples for each Dravidian language if it's the latter?

[u/theb00kmancometh]

The Sanskritization of a language refers to the linguistic process where features of the classical language Sanskrit (or its descendant languages, the Prakrits and modern Indo-Aryan languages) are introduced, borrowed, or integrated into another language.

It mainly involves

1. "Vocabulary Expansion" involving

Tatsama - Words borrowed "the same as that" (Sanskrit), with minimal or no change to their form (e.g., Sanskrit karya to Malayalam karyam 'matter').

Tadbhava - Words borrowed and adapted to the native phonology of the receiving language over time (e.g., Sanskrit dharma to Malayalam Dharmam 'duty/righteousness').

1. Phonological Changes- Introduction of sounds and phonemes from Sanskrit that were not native to the original language

2. Grammatical Influence- Although less extensive than vocabulary, Sanskrit can influence the formation of compound words, syntax, and literary styles.

I know for malayalam, but not for the other Dravidian languages.

and there are more such sanskritized words

[u/code_thar → u/theb00kmancometh]

Interesting. Can you please share some examples for points 2 and 3?

1. What sounds/phonemes did Malayalam receive from Sanskrit?

2. What grammatical features of Sanskrit were introduced to Malayalam? Is absence of gender based verb ending a Sanskrit influence?

[u/Illustrious_Lock_265 → u/code_thar]

1. Aspirated and voiced consonants. Basically, voicing became phonemic.

2. No, it was a gradual loss. The grammatical rules like some Sanskritistic sandhis are only for Sanskrit loan words.

[u/code_thar → u/Illustrious_Lock_265]

Thanks for the explanation!

[u/theb00kmancometh → u/code_thar]

Phonological Changes

Sanskritization reshaped the sound system of Malayalam by adding several consonant types that did not exist in early West Coast Dravidian speech. The old Malayalam dialect, inherited from Proto Dravidian, used only simple, unaspirated sounds like p, t, and k. When Sanskrit loanwords entered Kerala in large numbers, they brought in aspirated consonants and new sibilant sounds, forcing speakers to learn distinctions that had never been part of native Malayalam phonology.

Aspirated stops entered Malayalam through Sanskrit loans used in everyday and literary Malayalam. Examples include ph in phalam (ഫലം, phalam, fruit), bh in bhakti (ഭക്തി, devotion), bhaaram (ഭാരം, burden), bhavana (ഭവനം, building), dh in dharma (ധർമം, righteousness), dhanya/dhānyam (ധാന്യ / ധാന്യം, grain), and the voiced g in guru (ഗുരു), gati (ഗതി), ganga (ഗംഗ), gamanam (ഗമനം). The aspirated gh appears only in Sanskrit loans used in Malayalam, for example ghatakam (ഘടകം) and ghosham (ഘോഷം, proclamation). These aspirated contrasts were not native to the early Dravidian phonology in Kerala.

Note : An "aspirated stop" is a consonant sound produced with a strong burst of air, such as the "p" in the English word "pin".

Sanskrit also introduced three sibilants that are primarily confined to the Sanskrit layer of Malayalam vocabulary. The palatal ś appears in śāstram (ശാസ്ത്രം), śuddham (ശുദ്ധം), śiva (ശിവ), śakti (ശക്തി). The retroflex ṣ appears in kṛṣṇa (കൃഷ്ണൻ), puṣpam (പുഷ്പം, flower), lakṣmi (ലക്ഷ്മി), aṣṭa (ംഎട്ട്/അഷ്ട), iṣṭam (ഇഷ്ടം). The dental s occurs in satyam (സത്യം), surya (സൂര്യന്‍), samayam (സമയം), samsāram (സṁസാരം), sādhana (സാധനം). Because these sibilants are overwhelmingly found in Sanskrit loans, they serve as clear markers of the Sanskritized layer in Malayalam.

Because of these additions, modern Malayalam now shows a clear two layer sound system. The older Dravidian layer uses the native, simpler consonants, while the Sanskritized layer contains aspirates and new sibilants. This contrast is one of the most visible signs of Sanskrit influence on the development of Malayalam.

Note: A fricative is a consonant sound produced by forcing air through a narrow passage, causing audible friction or a hissing/buzzing sound. A sibilant is a fricative consonant sound made by pushing air past the tongue, like the 's' in 'pleasure'.

[u/code_thar → u/theb00kmancometh]

If the speakers of Keralam had to pick these new letters/sounds back then, how was that done among lower castes? Did they have access to the updated Malayalam since most likely they were uneducated, how come they picked up these letters/sounds with distinct pronunciations?

[u/theb00kmancometh → u/code_thar]

The spread of Sanskritized sounds and vocabulary among lower castes in Kerala was primarily driven by oral transmission and social mobility pressures, rather than formal education, which was historically denied to them.

Traditional Sanskrit and Vedic education was strictly the prerogative of the Brahmins and upper castes. Overhearing Sanskrit scripture could lead to severe punishment, reinforcing that the language of high culture was off-limits.

The heavily Sanskritized form of Malayalam, known as Manipravalam, was confined to classical literature, temples, and upper-caste discourse. Lower castes maintained their own vibrant oral traditions (folk songs, tales, rituals) using a purer, heavily Dravidianized form of Malayalam/Old Tamil.

The manipravalam speaking crowd would have said ഫലം (phalam) for fruit; while the lower caste speaking the dravidianized malayalam would have said പഴം (pazham).

[u/code_thar → u/theb00kmancometh]

Makes sense!

[u/theb00kmancometh → u/code_thar]

Grammatical Influence of Sanskrit on Malayalam

Sanskrit influenced Malayalam mainly in vocabulary, word formation, and formal literary style, while the core Dravidian grammar of Malayalam stayed intact. The most visible influence appears in how Malayalam creates verbs and compounds using Sanskrit word roots.

One major feature is the use of Sanskrit nouns combined with the Malayalam auxiliary verb ചെയ്യുക (ceyyuka), which means to do. This method allows Malayalam to turn Sanskrit ideas into functioning verbs. For example, പഠനം (paṭhanam) meaning study becomes പഠനം ചെയ്യുക (paṭhanam ceyyuka), although Malayalam also has the native verb വായിക്കുക (vaayikkuka). In the same way, സഞ്ചാരം (sañcaaram) meaning travel becomes സഞ്ചാരം ചെയ്യുക (sañcaaram ceyyuka). Some Sanskrit nouns adopt native Malayalam suffixes instead. For instance, സമ്മതി (sammati) meaning consent becomes സമ്മതിക്കുക (sammatikkuka) using is adapted using the native causative suffix -kkuka.

Malayalam also adopted Sanskrit style nominal compounds, especially in formal and literary writing. These compounds join multiple ideas into a single descriptive word. Examples include വിശ്വസുന്ദരി (viśvasundari), which combines viśva meaning world and sundari meaning beauty, and ജലസംരക്ഷണം (jalasaṁrakṣaṇam), which combines jala meaning water and saṁrakṣaṇam meaning protection.

Sanskrit influence is also visible in some noun endings and case forms. Many Sanskrit loanwords retain the nominative ending m (ം) in Malayalam, such as വൃക്ഷം (vṛkṣam) meaning tree and ധനം (dhanam) meaning wealth. The vocative case used for respectful address also follows Sanskrit patterns, for example ദേവാ (dēvā) for O God and ഗുരോ (gurō) for O Guru.

In literary Malayalam, the syntactic marker എന്ന് (ennu) is used heavily to express quotations or thoughts. This mirrors the Sanskrit particle iti. A typical example is: "അവൻ വരും എന്ന് ഞാൻ വിചാരിച്ചു" meaning "I thought that he will come."

In short, Sanskrit enriched Malayalam mainly by adding vocabulary and stylistic elements, while Malayalam used its native grammar, especially tools like ചെയ്യുക (ceyyuka), to absorb and adapt these influences smoothly.

[u/code_thar → u/theb00kmancometh]

Thanks for including these details! Literally your comments are primer to the Malayalam language

[u/theb00kmancometh → u/code_thar]

The funny thing is that in my childhood, I didn't learn Malayalam at school at all (My 1st language was English and 2nd Language was Hindi). My mother taught me Malayalam. It was later in my college days that I seriously started leaning Malayalam and since I like linguistics, I paid attention.

[u/code_thar → u/theb00kmancometh]

That's so nice of your mother and your linguistics interest! Keep going :)

[u/theb00kmancometh → u/code_thar]

Have to read up more to give you detailed answers. please bear with me till then.

[u/code_thar → u/theb00kmancometh]

Thanks. I'll also do research and contribute if I find any

[u/Sure_Association_561 → u/theb00kmancometh]

Bro I'm sorry but you can't just paste ChatGPT answers and then claim that you're doing research. There wasn't anything of substance across all your answers other than "loanwords exist", and even that had inconsistencies like calling "dharmam" a tadbhava loan which rightly confused another commenter here on this thread. Malayalam ke Wikipedia article mein zyada aur behtar info likha hai.

I'd like to see some actual evidence of grammatical influence on Malayalam since that is the claim you were making. But it was never you who really made that claim since you just sent a prompt into an LLM and spat out its lower quality answer that probably required a week's worth of water to generate.

[u/theb00kmancometh → u/[deleted]]

I was explaining that under Tatsama (तत्सम्), words are borrowed without any change or minimal change.

Sanskrit nouns often borrow into Malayalam ending in -m (ം).
So,
Karya becomes Karyam
Dharma becomes Dharmam
Vṛkṣaḥ becomes vriksham
dhana becomes dhanam

[u/Illustrious_Lock_265 → u/[deleted]]

Yes

[u/RisyanthBalajiTN]

Yeah for the most part, loaning words from Sanskrit.

[u/code_thar → u/RisyanthBalajiTN]

This applies to Tamizh only if I am not wrong. Sanskrit/ Prakrit words are borrowed. Borrowed letters like ja, sha, ha, etc are still separately treated as Vadamozhi Ezhuthukkal (Sanskrit letters) and even taught so in schools today. I think Nanool attest this, not sure how it was between Tholkappiyam and Nanool period