Editing Malayalam (section)

=== External influences and loanwords ===
Malayalam has incorporated many elements from other languages over the years, the most notable of these being [[Sanskrit]] and later, English.{{sfn|Asher|Kumari|1997|pp=xxiv, xxv}} According to [[Sooranad Kunjan Pillai]] who compiled the authoritative Malayalam lexicon, the other principal languages whose vocabulary was incorporated over the ages were [[Arabic]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]], [[Pali]], [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Prakrit]], and [[Syriac language|Syriac]].<ref>S. Kunjan Pillai (1965) – Malayalam Lexicon, pg xxii–xxiv</ref>

* Many medieval [[liturgical]] texts were written in an admixture of [[Sanskrit]] and early Malayalam, called [[Manipravalam]].<ref>[http://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/manipravalam.htm ''Manipravalam''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610042443/http://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/manipravalam.htm |date=10 June 2011 }} The Information & Public Relations Department, [[Government of Kerala]].</ref> The influence of [[Sanskrit]] was very prominent in formal Malayalam used in the medieval literature. Malayalam has a substantially high number of Sanskrit loanwords but these are seldom used.<ref>"Dravidian languages." ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2008.</ref>
* Some [[Arabic]] loanwords like ''adālattŭ'' (court of justice), ''jāmyaṃ'' (bail), ''japti'' (foreclosure), ''jilla'' (district), ''tālukkŭ'' (subdistrict), etc., are used in the formal literary Malayalam for administrative purposes.
* Loanwords and influences also from [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], [[Syriac language|Syriac]], and [[Ladino language|Ladino]] abound in the [[Judeo-Malayalam|Jewish Malayalam dialects]], as well as [[English language|English]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Syriac language|Syriac]], and [[Greek language|Greek]] in the Christian dialects, while [[Arabic]] and Persian elements predominate in the [[Muslim]] dialects.
* The Muslim dialect known as [[Mappila Malayalam]] is predominantly in the northern districts of Kerala. Another Muslim dialect called [[Beary bashe]] is used in the extreme northern part of Kerala along with the southern part of Karnataka in a former region called [[Tulu Nadu]].

{| class="wikitable"
|+Examples of vocabulary from various origins

! scope="col" {{ shade|100|color=green| Malayalam word}}
! scope="col" {{ shade|100|color=green| Source }}
{{loan words row|color=green|ml|ഉമ്മ|translit=umma|en=mother|ar|أُمّ|fxlit=ʔumm}}
{{loan words row|color=green|ml|മാമോദീസ|xlit=māmōdīsa|english=baptism|syc|ܡܥܡܘܕܝܬܐ|fxlit=maʿmōdīṯā}}
{{loan words row|color=green|ml|തപാല്‍|xlit=tapāl|en=post or mail|nl|de paal}}
{{loan words row|color=green|ml|ആപ്പിൾ|xlit=āppiḷ|en=apple|en|apple}}
{{loan words row|color=green|ml|നങ്കൂരം|xlit=naṅkūraṁ|en=anchor|grc|ἄγκῡρα|fxlit=ánkūra}}
{{loan words row|color=green|ml|മിനിയാൻ|xlit=miniyāṉ|en=quorum|he|מניין|fxlit=minyán}}
{{loan words row|color=green|ml|പഞ്ചായത്ത്|xlit=pañcāyattŭ|english=[[panchayat]]|hi|पंचायत|fxlit=pañcāyat}}
{{loan words row|color=green|ml|അച്ഛൻ|xlit=acchaṉ|en=father|pmh|𑀅𑀚𑁆𑀚|fxlit=ajja|label=[[Maharashtri Prakrit]]}}
{{loan words row|color=green|ml|പടക്|xlit=paṭakŭ|en=boat|label=[[Malayo-Polynesian]]|poz|<nowiki>*</nowiki>paʀaqu}}
{{loan words row|color=green|ml|പത്തേമാരി|xlit=pattēmāri|en=a type of boat|mr|पतेमारी|fxlit=patemārī}}
{{loan words row|color=green|ml|വാത്ത|xlit=vātta|en=duck|fa|بط|fxlit=baṭ}}
{{loan words row|color=green|ml|ജനാല|xlit=jaṉāla|pt|janela|en=window}}
{{loan words row|color=green|ml|ലക്ഷം|xlit=lakṣam|en=[[lakh]]|sa|लक्ष|fxlit=lakṣa}}
|}