Tamil words in English

[SStephen]

From: S Krishna <mahadevasiva at HOTMAIL.COM>
To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
Date: February 5, 1998 9:55 PM
Subject: Re: Tamil words in English



>>> > koel < kuyil
>
> This is very interesting..i.e. koel (which is a bird) from kuyil...
>However, the word koel is used only in Indian English and not in other
>parts of the world, where it is invariably the nightingale...


World book dictionary gives the meaning of koel as "any one of various
cuckoos of India, New Guinea and Australia". They also seem to think it is
derived from Hindi or Sanskrit.

Sujatha