List of Tamil words in Swahili language

by

Dr . V.R . Annadurai Variankaval Ramasamy ; MD; DPM;

consultant Psychiatist

doctorannadurai60@gmail.com

www.drannadurai.com

                             List of Tamil words in Swahili language 

                                         by 

           Dr.Variankaval Ramasamy Annadurai; MD;DPM; 

Swahili, also known by its native name Kiswahili, is a Bantu language and the native language of the Swahili people. It is one of two official languages (the other being English) of the East African Community (EAC) countries, namely Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. It is a lingua franca of other areas in the African Great Lakes region and East and Southern Africa, including some parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Malawi, Mozambique, the southern tip of Somalia, and Zambia. Swahili is also one of the working languages of the African Union and of the Southern African Development Community. The number of Swahili speakers, be they native or second-language speakers, is estimated to be approximately 200 million. 

Swahili developed historically by borrowing a number of words from foreign languages, particularly administrative terms from Arabic, but also words from Portuguese, Hindi and German. In relatively more recent times, Swahili has borrowed the most from English. Yet sixteen to twenty percent of the Swahili vocabulary are Arabic loanwords, including the name of the language (????????? sawa?ili, a plural adjectival form of an Arabic word meaning 'of the coast'). The loanwords date from the contacts of Arabian traders with the Bantu inhabitants of the east coast of Africa over the last couple of centuries, which was also when Swahili emerged as a lingua franca. 

In 2018, South Africa legalized the teaching of Swahili in schools as an optional subject to begin in 2020. Botswana followed in 2020, and Namibia plans to introduce the language as well. Shikomor (or Comorian), an official language in Comoros and also spoken in Mayotte (Shimaore), is closely related to Swahili and is sometimes considered a dialect of Swahili, although other authorities consider it a distinct language. 

Clues to read Swahili words into Tamil 

Letter ‘k’ = ‘v’; v= ‘ka’; letter ‘Ra’= ‘la’.  

Add vowels then and there.

Letter ’p’ and letter ‘s’ can be retained/ deleted /added or exchanged. 

 Add letters ‘m’ and ‘n’ then and there. 

A consonant letter can be read more than once.

If a same letter occurs consecutively more than once it can be read as a single letter.

By jumbling the letters of the given Japanese word, a Tamil word can be derived. 

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Ref; A Standard Swahili -English Dictionary 

founded on Madan’s Swahili - English Dictionary  

English – Swahili- Tamil 

*1.expression of pain -A-aa- Aaa 

2.ever/ always- abadi –eppoathum 

*3.serve- abudu –poadu 

4.predict- agua- kani ; uookika.

*5.next- aidha- aduththu ; aduththathu .

6.finish-akidi -kedi / finished 

*7.invite/call- alika- azhaikka 

8.intend/desire - ania- ennam 

9.earth / soil- ardhi- tharai ; letters are in reversed order ;earth [E] = tharai  ;letters are in reversed order.  

10. inform- ardhia /ardhiwa[ PS]  -ariviththidu ; letters are jumbled. 

*11, inform – aridhika [St] – ariviththiduka 

*12.crack- atua- udaiya / to get cracked

*13.otherwise- aula- illaiyael 

14.after/ afterwards- baada- pinnaadi 

*15.father- baba- appa 

16.ancestor/ patron/ guardian - baba- mooppan/ elder 

*17.divide off- bagua- paku /divide 

18.sailing vessel- bagala - kalam 

*19.fasten on- bandika – pinaiththiduka 

*20.prosperity – baraka –perukkam 

21.method of plaiting hair- bati – sadai poadu 

*22.ringworm on the head -bato – padai /ringworm 

*23.women – binti –pendu 

*24.boast- bodoa- peeththu 

*25.beat /strike- buta- poattu adi /adi poadu  ; beat [E] = poattu adi  ; adi-  beat 

*26.dumbness- bubu – bae bae / descriptive term for dumbness 

27.frighten away /scare-bumburuka – paem  uruththuka 

*28.forgive- buraa- poru /bear 

*29.small box- bweta- petti 

*30.fear- uchaji- achcham 

31.collect together/ mix - changa – saekka 

32.make a sizzling sound/ termites-– chata –oasai idu   /to make noise; oasai-  noise; idu- make. 

33.the day on which a market is held- chete; santhai  thinam  ;thinam- day ; santhai- market .

34.the place in which a market is held- chete – santhai/ market 

*35.earthenware vessel- chetezo- satti /pot 

36.ticket/note- chit- yaedu ; seettu . 

37.game/ dice- dadu – aattam/ game; soothu aattam /dice; aadidu / to play.

*38.tambourine- dafi- thappu 

39.always- daima- eppoathum 

40.catch/ seize- daka- pidikka 

*41.touch- dara- thoduthar 

42.catch- dara- pidiththar 

*43.recess- daka- idukku 

*44.protest- udaku –ethukka 

*45.broker- dalali- idai aal/ middle man; idai- middle; aal- person.

46.native boat- dau – thoani 

*47.take off- deua- edu 

*48.humbled/ low- dhalili- thaazhmai 

49.think- dhani- ennidu ; letters are in reversed order. 

*50.narrowness- dhiki -odukkam 

51.tightness- dhiki - pidikka 

52.distress- dhiki - odukkam 

*53.confinement- dhiki – adaikka 

*54.sharpen- dira- theettuthar 

*55.a vessel- dila- thaali 

56.a landing place- dika- adaika/ to land 

*57.prayer- dua- thuthi /to pray 

58.shop -duka- kadai ; letters are in reversed order. 

*59.earth /world- dunia- thinai 

*60.die- poa- poa/to go 

*61.profit- faida- payan paadu 

62.get profit- faidi – payan adaiya ; payan- profit; adaiya- attain .

63.beggar- fakiri – pichchai-k- kaarar ; yaasikkiravar .

*64.horse- farasi – pari 

*65.tie up- funda- pinaiththidu 

*66.bind- funga- pinaikka 

*67.tie up- fundika- pinaiththiduka 

*68.prepare the hair for plaiting- fundika- pinniduka/ plait 

*69.portion/ share- fungu – pankku 

70.wipe -futa- thudai 

71.foot / measure- futi--adi; paatham/ foot. 

72.embrace closely- ganda- katti anaiththidu; letters are jumbled. 

*73.any vehicle on wheels- gari - kaar/car;kar- wheel/ leg. 

*74.game /tip cat- geli – killi ; gilli .

*75.anger- ghaidhi – kaattam 

*76.anger- ghadhabu - kothippu ; kaduppu .

77.enraged- ghadhabika- vaeka paduka;’ ka= va; va= ka.

78.store room- gala- kalanjiyam 

*79.young male / youth- gulamu – kaalai 

80.pour liquid- gida- uooththuka /pour; letters are in reversed order.

*81.glass/marble balls /for playing- gololi – koli / goali ; root word is koalam- round.

*82.phlegm -gole- koazhai 

83.knock – gota – thattuka ;letters are in reversed order.

84.strike- gota- adikka; thaakka; letters are in reversed order. 

*85.drumming of an instrument- gota gota- kottu kottu; kottu- a drum; kottu- to beat. 

86.blows- mgoto – kuththu 

87.pitcher/pot- gudulia –aala kudam ;  letters are jumbled; aalam- water; kudam- pot. 

*88.awl- gude- kuththu uoosi ; uoosi- needle ; kuththu- pierce .

*89.shout /cry out - guta- kaththu 

*90.gore/ ox- guta- kuththa 

*91.stump – gutu – kuththi 

92.story / tale – hadithi – kathai ; letter ‘h’ is read as ‘k’ and  not as ‘a’. 

93.swelling- halulu –uppal   

94.anger- hasira- seeru /to get furious 

95.fault- hatia- thaa- yaethu ; thattu ;  thappu . 

96.document- hati – yaedu / book / paper /sheet 

*97.to step- hatua- adi edu/ take a step; ad i- foot; edu- take.  

98.gift- hedaya- kodai ; letter ‘h’ is read as ‘k’ and   not as ‘a’. 

*99.be lost- hiliki - izhakka 

*100.ruined /destroyed- hiliki ; azhikka ; ozhikka/ destroy 

*101.cardamom-iliki- yaelakkaai 

102.beauty- jamala –mallal 

103.be startled- jituka- thidukkida 

104.give/ deliver – kaibidhi- koduththidu 

*105.lay hands on- kaibidhi- kai poadu ; kai- hand; poadu- put. 

*106.seize- kaibidhi- kai paththu ; kai- hand. 

107.take in the hand- kaibidhi- kaiyil  pidi / edu   ;kai- hand ;edu- take; pidi- hold/ take 

108.close fisted/ miserly- kabidhi- kai ketti ; kai-  hand; ketti- tight .

*109.small/ tiny – kadogo – kuttiyaaka 

*110.small- katiti- kutti 

*111.elder brother- kaka- kaakkaiyan 

*112.consider/ to form an opinion- kadiri  -karuthu ; letters are jumbled. 

*113.feel pain /ache -kakat- - kuththa ;  kudaiya .

114.break something hard with teeth-kakatua-  kadiththu  udai   ;kadi- bite; udai- to break 

115.pen/ writing - kalamu – maei kole; letters are jumbled;  maei- ink; kole- stick.

116.for ever and ever- kale na kale- kaalank-k-aala maa – time immemorial; kaalam- time. 

117.former times / in the past / old/ ancient -akale- a-k-kaalam  /those time ; kaalam- time .

*118.trouble- kalifu - kuzhappam 

119.word – kalima- kuyil 

*120.Indian fisherman -kalua- kalavan /Tamil fisherman 

121.rope- kamba – akkam 

*122.cut- kata- kaathu ; vettu ; ka= va; va= ka. 

123.portion- kataa- pakuthi 

124.become dry / parched- kauka- kaaya vaikka  /to make dry   ;ka= va; va= ka. 

125.murderous person – katili- kaathuthal/ to kill; kaathidum aal ; aal- person 

*126.cruel man- katili- kodiya aal; kodiya- cruel; aal- person.

127.a procurer/ pimp - kawadi – kootti kodu- to procure; kootti koduppoan  /procurer.

128.hiccup – kekevu- vikka; letters are in reversed order. 

129.dog- kelb- kukkal/wolf 

130.saw into- kereza- arukka; letters are in reversed order. 

131.sit down - keti – kunthu 

*132.dwell- keti – keda 

133.a dwarf- kibeti – kuttai /short; kuttaiyan/ short person.

*134.bunch /cluster of fruits -kichala- kulai 

135.an ink well /pot- kidau- maei koodu ; maei- ink; koodu- bottle.

*136.grant– kidhi – kodai / grant  

*137.give to- kidhi- kodu 

138.shouting/ uproar- kelele- koochchal ; kalakam .

139.small cowrie- kete- kavadi ; ka= va; va= ka. 

140.cough/ bronchitis – kafua –kaasam; kapam .

*141.cough [ v] – kohoa- kakka /eject out

*142.horror/ fright- kikuli- gili ; kili .

*143.curved sword- kitara- kuththu koadari  /dagger ; letters are read more than once. 

*144.increase-kithiri – koottuthar 

145.place of residence of a chief- kiti –kudi/ house 

*146.thicket- kituka- kaadu 

*147.lease/ house – kodi – kudi kuththakai ; kudi- house; kuththakai- lease. 

*148.collect together in a heap- kokoa- kuvikka ; ka= va; va= ka. 

*149.branch of a coconut palm – kole- kilai / branch ; kulai- bunch.

*150.smith’s pincers /tool – koleo- kai kole ; kai-   hand; kole- tool .

*151.cup- kopo- koappai 

*152.snore- koroto –kurattai 

153.hook for catching sharks- koto- kodukki / hook 

154.dwarf- kundaa- kuttaiyan  ;  letters are jumbled; kuttai- short. 

*155.a small bird/ grey king fisher- kurea- kuri ee / small bird. 

156.meet with – kuta- kandidu  

*157.assemble- kutana- koodu 

*158.cry and complain of hunger- lalaika- azhuka/ cry 

*159.utter a cry- lia- azhu 

*160.sound- lia- oli 

*161.mother- mama- amma 

*162.a turn/a time- mara-murai 

*163.rejection- mardudi- maruththidu 

*164.death- mauti-madiya/ to die; mouththu [Arabic].

165.ship -merikabu – mara -k -koavai / boat ; maram-  wood. 

166.shine/ sparkle- meta- minnida

*167.parable/ proverb- mithali – muthu mozhi ; muthu- old; mozhi- saying/ language.

*168.mountain- milima-malai ; maa malai / big mountain ; maa-big; letters are jumbled. 

*169.cushion- mto- meththai 

*170.tube/ pipe- neli –naali  

171.shine /glitter- ngaa- minukka 

*172.dress / men – koti / shuka/ shati – kuttai /cloth ; sokkaai / shirt ; sattai- shirt. 

*173.dress/ women- shela/ shiti – seelai  /cloth ; soodi  /cloth .

*174.think of- nia- ennu / to think 

175.mind- nia-manam 

176.intention- nia-ennam 

177.marriage-nikaha-manakka / to get married 

178.give out a smell- nuka- manakka 

*179.mother-nina-annai ; naani .

*180.what- nini-enna 

181.you-ninyi-nee ;nin- your.

*182.save/ preserve/ rescue- okoka- kaakka 

*183.catch /seize- pata- pidi 

184.get/ attain- pata- adaiya 

*185.be got- patika- pidikka; adaika .

*186.suffer- pata- paadu padu 

*187.wrap up- peta- pothi idu ; pothi- bundle; idu- make/ do . 

*188.shift / winnow- peta- pudai 

*189.go by / pass by – pita- poaeida 

**

192.fly off- pura- para/ to fly 

193.thrash- puta- pudai 

*194.knock down fruits from the tree by throwing sticks or stones- pura- pari / pluck.

195.pardon- radhi- poruththidu 

196.mount/ ride- rakibu - yaeruka 

*197.to tear- rarua- aru 

198.mercy- rehema- erakkam ; letter ‘h’ is read as ‘k’ and not as ‘a’. 

199.be patient -saburi- poru 

200.patience- sabira- porumai 

201.the year- sanati- aandu 

*202.sound /noise- sauti- saththam 

*203.make a picture- sawiri- varaiya /draw 

204.form- sawiri- uru 

205.shirt- shata- sattai 

206.hear- sikia- kaekka 

*207.shake- suka- asaikka ; shake[E] = asaikka . 

208.study/ learn- taali - padiththal; oaaththal.

209.search/ look for- tafuta- thaedi paaththidu ;thaedu- search ;paaththidu- see .

210.get by search- tafuta-thaedi adaiya ;thaedi  edu   ;thaedu- search ;adaiya- attain; edu -take. 

*211.lay /eggs- taga- iduka / lay;muttai iduka; muttai- egg. 

212.come to an end- tama- mudiya; letters are in reversed order. 

213.numerical five- tano- aeinthu ; letters are in reversed order. 

*214.small drum- tari- thadaari 

*215.kind of dance/ to drive away the sprits- tari- aaduthar /dancing 

*216.shaking- tari – athira ;aaduthar . 

217.road- tariki –theru koadi ; theru street; koadi corner. 

218.messenger- tharishi- thoothar 

*219.jaw- taya- thaadai 

*220.a kick- teke- uthaikka/ to kick 

*221.take- teka- edukka 

*222.break down – tekua- udaikka / break 

223.gold thread- teli – udal izhai ; udal- gold; izhai- thread;  thaali – marriage thread. 

*224.abundance- teli – thazahiya 

*225.oppose- teta- ethiththdu 

*226.obstruct- teta- thadu 

*227.attack- tetea- adiththidu 

*228.choose – teua- edu 

*229.select- teule- eduththal 

*230.put- tia- idu 

*231.apply- tia- idu 

*232.bring to- tia- attu 

233.grind finely into a flour-tikita- podi aakkidu ; podi- powder; akkidu- make. 

*234.be cut off--tindika  thundikka 

*235.hit/ beat – titiga- adiththiduka ;adikka ;thaakka.

236.small bundles/ of grass/ fire wood- kitita- kattu/ bundle 

*237.give- toa- thaa 

238.produce- toa- padai  

*239.take out- toa-edu 

240.make a hole- toboa- oaattai idu ;oaattai  poadu   ; letters are jumbled; oaattai- hole; poadu- put/ make. 

241.pierce/ the ear- toga- kaathai  kuththu ; kuththu- pierce; kaathu- ear ; letters are in reversed order. 

*242.a coconut with full of milk – tonga- thaenkkai / coconut 

*243.to desert- toroka – thurakka 

*244.a kind of mat- tuguu- thadukku 

245.happen/ occur- tukia- nadakka 

*246.fluttering of the heart   tuku tiko – thudikka thudikka 

*247.beat – tuta- adiththidu;thattu .

*248.throb- tuta- thudiththida 

*249.carry- tuta- ediththidu 

250.small drum- tuta- thidum / kettle drum 

*251.raise in small swellings /swell - tutuka  - thadikka  ;pudaiththikka 

*252.accept- twaa- oththidu 

253.obtain – twaa- adiya 

254.the pole which lays on top of the walls of the native house -uati – thadi/ wood

*255.stanza- ubeti – paththi 

*256.verse- ubeti –paattu 

*257.pain – udhi- thaa 

258.trouble- udhi – adu ; ittoaattu .

*259.ilness-uele- oliyal 

*260.stiff porridge made of maize/ millet -ugale -kali   

*261.coconut leaf- kuti – keeththu 

262.manliness- ume- aanmai 

*263.join - unga- inaikka 

*264.join together- unga- onaa inaikka ; inaikka- to join .

*265.together- unyo- onnaa

*266.tray made of leaves- uteo- thattu / tray 

*267.infectiousness- wito- wotta / wottida ;thoththida .

268.odd number- witiri - wottrai enn ;enn- numerical number; ottrai- single. 

*269.skilful - weledi –valaimai yoadu /with skill ; vlaimai- skill .

270.count- wanga- ennuka 

*271.place/ put- weka- weikka 

*272.child’s nurse -ayah- aayaa

*273.agreeing with- yote- yaeththidu 

274.time- zamani –mani 

*275.prepare- zatiti – seithidu 

*276.beautiful- zuri -saaru ;saar. 

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