Kerala (Ker)

Mal: കേരളം keralam

‘Land of Coconut Trees ’.

From Mal: kēram/chēra, coconut; and Mal: aḷam, coastal area.

Kerala grows 45% of India’s coconuts (7.5 billion of them) and manufactures a wide range of coconut products from oil, milk and honey to ropes, mats and spoons.

Other suggestions are that the name comes from:

(1) ‘Land of ‘Cheras’ –the Chera dynasty ruled most of Kerala from the 1st-5thC. Many dispute this on the grounds that the name pre-dates the dynasty or (2) ‘Land added on’ –from Tam/Mal: cēr/cēruka‘join’, ‘attach’, ‘add’. 

According to Hindu mythology, parts of Kerala were created by Lord Parasurama, who reclaimed the land from the sea: ‘the land added on’.

Kerala Tourism describes Kerala as ‘God’s Own Country’ and it’s true that Kerala has a lot to be thankful for: beaches, backwaters, elephants, coconuts, a high literacy rate (93% compared to a national average of 74%),  a female-to-male ratio of 1.084 (indicating impressive gender equality), 100% primary school enrolment, and the lowest infant mortality in India.

Adoor (Ker)

Mal: അടൂർ aṭūr ‘Valley Town’  City, Kerala. Mal: aṭi, ‘foot’, ‘bottom’,...

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Alappuzha (Ker)

Mal: ആലപ്പുഴ ālappuḻa ‘Broad River’  [Alleppey] City/District, Kerala. From...

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Aluva  (Ker)

Mal: ആലുവ āluva. ‘River Mouth’  [Alwaye] City/Dictrict, Kerala. From Mal: āl,...

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Anchal (Ker)

Mal: അഞ്ചൽ añcal 'Stopover'   Town,  Kerala From Mal/Tam: añcal, ‘relay’,...

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Angamaly (Ker)

Mal: അങ്കമാലി aṅkamāli ‘Trading Port’  [Angadikadavu]  Town,  Kerala From...

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Aranmula (Ker)

Mal: ആറന്മുള āṟanmuḷa ‘Six Bamboo (Boat)’  Town, Kerala From Mal: aṟu, ‘six’;...

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Attingal (Ker)

Mal: ആറ്റിങ്ങൽ ā(tt)ṟṟiṅ(g)al 'Attingal Queens'  Town, Kerala Marumakkathayam...

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Aymanam (Ker)

Mal: അയ്മനം aymanaṁ 'Five Forests'  Village,  Kerala From Mal: ai(y)m 'five'...

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Beypore (Ker)

Mal: ബേപ്പൂർ   bēppūr ‘Estuary Town’   [Vaypura, Vadaparappanad, Sultan...

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Chalakudy (Ker)

Mal: ചാലക്കുടി c(h)ālakkuṭi ‘Prosperous Settlement’   Town,  Kerala From...

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Changanassery (Ker)

Mal: ചങ്ങനാശ്ശേരി c(h)aṅ(g)anāśśēri ‘Sengan’s  Town’   Town, Kerala From...

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Chavakkad (Ker)

Mal: ചാവക്കാട്  c(h)āvakkāṭ ‘Dead Forest’  [Chowghat]  Town,  Kerala  From...

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Cherthala (Ker)

Mal: ചേര്‍ത്തല c(h)ērttala ‘Joined Land’  Town, Kerala From Tam/Mal:...

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Ernakulam (Ker)

Mal: എറണാകുളം eṟaṇākuḷaṁ 'Shiva's Tank'   City/District,  Kerala From...

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Ezhikkara (Ker)

Mal: ഏഴിക്കര ēḻikkara 'Riverside'   Village, Kerala From Mal: aḻi, 'river...

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Haripad (Ker)

Mal: ഹരിപ്പാട് harippāṭ ‘Green Ricefields’   Town, Kerala.  From Mal: hari...

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Idukki (Ker)

Mal: ഇടുക്കി iṭukki ‘Gorge’  District, Kerala From Mal: iṭukku/iḍukkụ, ‘narrow...

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Kadakkarappally (Mal)

Mal: കടക്കരപ്പള്ളി kaṭakkarappaḷḷi 'Seashore Church' From Mal: kaṭal‍/kaḍal,...

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Kaduthuruthy (Ker)

Mal: കടുത്തുരുത്തി kaṭutturutti 'Sea Island'    Town, Kerala From Mal: ...

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Kalamassery (Ker)

Mal:കളമശ്ശേരി kaḷamaśśēri ‘Rice Settlement’      Suburb/Region (Kochi), Kerala...

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Kalpetta (Ker)

Mal: കൽപറ്റ kalpaṟṟa  'Rocky Place’ [Kalpaṟṟa]  Town, Kerala From Mal: kal,...

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Kanhangad (Ker)

Mal: കാഞ്ഞങ്ങാട്  kāññaṅṅāṭ ‘Strychnine Forest’  Town,  Kerala. From Mal: ...

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Kanjirangad (Ker)

Mal:കാഞ്ഞിരങ്ങാട് kāññiraṅṅāṭ ‘Strychnine Village’   Village, Kerala From...

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Kannur (Ker)

Mal: കണ്ണൂര്‍ kaṇṇūr ‘Bamboo Town’  [Cannanore] City/District,  Kerala From...

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Karunagappalli (Ker)

Mal: കരുനാഗപ്പള്ളി karunāgappaḷḷi. ‘Cobra Village’  Town, Kerala. From Mal:...

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Kasaragod (Ker)

Mal: കാസർഗോഡ് kāsargōḍ ‘Backwater Lake’  [Kanhirakode] Town/District,  Kerala...

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Kattapana (Ker)

Mal: കട്ടപ്പന kaṭṭappana ‘Palm Trees’    Town,  Kerala From Mal: kaṭṭa,...

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Kayamkulam (Ker)

Mal: കായംകുളം kāyaṅkuḷaṁ ‘Backwater Lake’   Town, Kerala From Mal: kāyal‍,...

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Kodungallur (Ker)

Mal: കൊടുങ്ങല്ലൂര്‍ koṭuṅṅallūr ‘Corner Town’  [Cranganore, Muziris] ...

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Kottarakara (Ker)

Mal: കൊട്ടാരക്കര koṭṭārakkarā ‘Palace Shore’   Town, Kerala From Mal::...

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Kottayam (Ker)

Mal: കോട്ടയം kōṭṭayam ‘Interior of the Fort’  City/District,  Kerala From Mal:...

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Kovalam (Ker)

Mal: കോവളം kōvaḷam 'King's Coast'   Town/Resort,  Kerala From Mal: kō,...

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Koyilandy (Ker)

Mal: കൊയിലാണ്ടി kōyilāṇṭi ‘Temple Passage’ [Pandalayani Kollam, Fandaraina,...

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Kunnamkulam (Ker)

Mal: കുന്നംകുളം kunnamkulam ‘Hill Ponds’   Town,  Kerala Mal:  kunnu/kunnam,...

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Malappuram (Ker)

Mal: മലപ്പുറം malappuram ‘City in the Hills’  City/District,  Kerala From Mal:...

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Mananthavady (Ker)

Mal: മാനന്തവാടി mānanthavādi ‘Great Bliss Village’      Town, Kerala From Skt:...

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Manjeri (Ker)

Mal: മഞ്ചേരി manjeri ‘Walled Settlement’  Town, Kerala From Mal: maṇ‍,...

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Manjeshwar (Ker)

Mal: മഞ്ചേശ്വരം manjeshvaram ‘Srimad Anantheswar’  Town, Kerala The most...

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Maradu (Ker)

Mal: മരട് marat ‘Indian Laurel’   Suburb (Kochi), Kerala From Mal/Tam:...

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Mavelikara (Ker)

Mal: മാവേലിക്കര māvēlikkara ‘Mahabali Bank’  Town,  Kerala From...

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Munnar (Ker)

Mal: മൂന്നാര്‍ mūṇṇāṟ ‘Three Rivers’  Town/Hill Station, Kerala From Mal:...

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Muvattupuzha (Ker)

Mal: മുവാറ്റുപുഴ mūvāṭṭupuḻā  ‘Three River Confluence’  Town, Kerala From Mal:...

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Nedumangad (Ker)

Mal: നെടുമങ്ങാട് neṭumaṅkāṭ ‘Long Bazaar’  Town, Kerala From Mal: neṭu, ‘long’...

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Neyyattinkara (Ker)

Mal: നെയ്യാറ്റിൻകര neyyāṭiṉkara  ‘Shore of Neyyar River’  Town, Kerala From...

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Ottappalam (Ker)

Mal: ഒറ്റപ്പാലം oṟṟappālaṁ ‘Single Bridge’   Town, Kerala From Mal: oṟṟa,...

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Palakkad (Ker)

Mal: പാലക്കാട് pālakkāṭ ‘Blackboard Tree Wood’  [Palghat, Palakkattussery] ...

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Pandalam (Ker)

Mal: പന്തളം pantaḷaṁ 'Pandalam (Dynasty)’    Town,  Kerala The Pandalam...

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Paravur (Ker)

Mal: പരവൂർ paravūr 'Paravar Village'    Town, Kerala From Paravar and Mal: ūr,...

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Perinthalmanna (Ker)

Mal: പെരിന്തല്‍മണ്ണ  perintalmaṇṇa  ‘Great Wrestling Ground’   Town,  Kerala...

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Ponnani (Ker)

Mal: പൊന്നാനി ponnāni ‘Gold Coin’  Town/Taluk, Kerala From Mal: pon, ‘gold’;...

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Punalur (Ker)

Mal: പുനലൂർ punalūr 'Riverbridge'  Town, Kerala From Mal: puṇal, ‘water’,...

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Ramanattukara (Ker)

Mal: രാമനാട്ടുകര rāmanāṭṭukara ‘Rama’s Riverbank’  Town, Kerala From Rama, the...

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Taliparamba (Ker)

Mal: തളിപ്പറമ്പ് taḷippaṟamp ‘Temple Ground’  Town,  Kerala From Mal: taḷi,...

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Thekaddy (Ker)

Mal: തേക്കടി tēkkaṭi ‘Teak Forest’  Town, Kerala From Mal: tēkku, ‘teak’...

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Thirurangadi (Ker)

Mal: തിരുരങ്ങാടി tiruraṅ(k)āṭi ‘Great Market’   [Tiruwarankad] Town, Kerala...

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Thiruvalla (Ker)

Mal: തിരുവല്ല tiruvalla 'Sri Vallabha'  Town,  Kerala From Sri Vallabha and...

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Thodupuzha (Ker)

Mal: തൊടുപുഴ toṭupuḻā 'Stream River'  Town,  Kerala From Mal: tōṭu,...

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Thrissur (Ker)

Mal: തൃശ്ശൂര്‍ tr̥śśūr ‘City of Shiva’ [Trichur] City/District, Kerala From...

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Tirur (Ker)

Mal: തിരൂര്‍ tirūr ‘Prosperous Town’  Town, Kerala From Mal:  tiru ‘eminent’,...

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Uppala (Ker)

Mal: ഉപ്പള uppaḷa 'Saltpan'    Town, Kerala From Mal: uppu/uppaḷam,...

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Vaikom (Ker)

Mal: വൈക്കം vaikkaṁ 'Deposits'  Town, Kerala From Mal: vaikkam, 'deposits',...

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Varkala (Ker)

Mal: വർക്കല varkkala 'Line of Rocks'  Town, Kerala From Mal: vara, ‘line’,...

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Wayanad (Ker)

Mal: വയനാട്  vayanāṭ ‘Ricefield Country’  District, Kerala From Mal: vayal,...

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