Reconstruction:Proto-Dravidian/a-

This Proto-Dravidian entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Dravidian

Root

*a-

1. that, that there

Usage notes

*a- becomes *aw- before a.

Derived terms

• *aw-anṯu (“that man”) (nominal), *awan- (oblique)
  • South Dravidian:
    • South Dravidian I: *avan
      • Kannada: ಅವನು (avanu)
      • Tamil-Malayalam:
        • Tamil: அவன் (avaṉ)
        • Malayalam: അവൻ (avaṉ)
    • South Dravidian II:
      • Telugu: వాడు (vāḍu)
      • Kolami: अंद
• *aw-aḷ (“that woman”)
  • South Dravidian:
    • Kannada: ಅವಳು (avaḷu)
    • Tamil-Malayalam:
      • Tamil: அவள் (avaḷ)
      • Malayalam: അവൾ (avaḷ)
• *a-tu (“that woman or that thing”)
  • South Dravidian:
    • South-Central:
      • Kolami: అద్ (ad)
      • Telugu: అది (adi)
    • Tamil-Kannada:
      • Kannada: ಅದು (adu)
      • Tamil-Malayalam:
        • Tamil: அது (atu)
        • Malayalam: അത് (atŭ)
• *aw-ar (“those persons”)
  • South Dravidian:
    • Tulu: ಆವಾಕುಳು (āvākuḷu)
    • Kannada: ಅವರು (avaru)
    • Tamil-Malayalam:
      • Tamil: அவர் (avar)
      • Malayalam: അവർ (avaṟ)
• *aw-ay (“those (non-men humans or non-humans)”)
  • South Dravidian:
    • Telugu: అవి (avi)
    • Kannada: ಅವು (avu)
    • Tamil-Malayalam:
      • Tamil: அவை (avai)
      • Malayalam: അവ (ava)
• *a-nṯu (“then”)
  • South Dravidian:
    • Kannada: ಅಂದು (andu)
    • Toda: அத் (aḏ)
    • Tamil-Malayalam: *anṯu
      • Tamil: அன்று (aṉṟu)
      • Malayalam: അന്ന് (annŭ)

• Unsorted formations:
  • Tamil: அப்படி (appaṭi), அங்கு (aṅku), அங்கே (aṅkē), அங்கண் (aṅkaṇ), அங்ஙனம் (aṅṅaṉam), அப்பொழுது (appoḻutu), அவ்விடம் (avviṭam)
  • Malayalam: അങ്ങനെ (aṅṅane), അവിടെ (aviṭe), അവിടം (aviṭaṁ), അദ്ദേഹം (addēhaṁ), അങ്ങ് (aṅṅŭ), അപ്പോൾ (appōḷ), അപ്പുറം (appuṟaṁ), അത്തരം (attaraṁ)

See also

Proto-Dravidian personal pronouns

				singular	plural
1st person			exclusive	*yĀn	*yĀm
			inclusive		*ñām
			reflexive	*tān	*tām
2nd person				*nīn	*nīm
3rd person			masculine	*iwanṯu (proximal) *uwanṯu (yonder) *awanṯu (distal) *yĀwanṯu (interrogative)	*iwar (proximal) *uwar (yonder) *awar (distal) *yĀwar (interrogative)
			feminine	*iwaḷ (proximal) *uwaḷ (yonder) *awaḷ (distal) *yĀwaḷ (interrogative)
			non-human	*itu (proximal) *utu (yonder) *atu (distal) *yĀtu (interrogative)	*iway (proximal) *uway (yonder) *away (distal) *yĀway (interrogative)

References

• Krishnamurti, Bhadriraju (2003) The Dravidian Languages (Cambridge Language Surveys), Cambridge University Press, →ISBN.
• Burrow, T., Emeneau, M. B. (1984) chapter 1, in A Dravidian etymological dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 1.