Origins: From Tamil Roots to a Distinct Identity
Malayalam, though today a fully independent language, has its origins deeply tied to ancient Tamil. For centuries, the Chera kingdom in Kerala used Old Tamil (often called Proto-Tamil-Malayalam) as the spoken and written language. Literary works such as Sangam poetry (300 BCE – 300 CE) were common to both Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The divergence began around the 8th–9th century CE, when the western dialects of Tamil started absorbing unique phonetic, grammatical, and lexical features due to geographical separation and contact with Prakrits, Sanskrit, and local Dravidian dialects. By the 13th century CE, scholars recognize Malayalam as a distinct linguistic identity, though still carrying heavy Tamil resemblance.
Script Evolution: From Tamil-Brahmi to Modern Malayalam
The Malayalam script did not emerge suddenly but evolved through multiple stages over centuries, backed by inscriptional evidence:
● Tamil-Brahmi (3rd century BCE – 3rd century CE)
□ The earliest form of writing in South India.Rock inscriptions from the Sangam period in Tamil Nadu and Kerala show this script.□ Foundation for Vattezhuthu and later scripts.
● Vattezhuthu (4th century CE – 14th century CE)
□ Meaning “round script,” derived from Tamil-Brahmi.□ Used widely in Kerala for over 1000 years in administration, temple records, and copper plates.□ Proof: Vazhappally copper plate (9th century CE, issued by Chera king Rama Rajasekhara), considered the earliest Malayalam record.
● Kolezhuthu (14th century CE – 18th century CE)
□ A regional variant of Vattezhuthu, used mainly in northern Kerala (Malabar).□ Appears in temple manuscripts and land deeds.
● Malayanma (14th century CE – 18th century CE)
□ Another offshoot of Vattezhuthu, dominant in southern Kerala (Travancore).□ Known for its cursive flow, often found in palm-leaf manuscripts.
● Grantha Script (6th century CE onwards, influence peaking 8th–16th centuries CE)
□ Developed in Tamil Nadu specifically for writing Sanskrit.□ Introduced into Kerala through temples, Brahmin scholars, and royal patronage.□ Proof: Tharisappalli Copper Plates (849 CE) use Vattezhuthu with Grantha letters for Sanskrit terms.
● Fusion into Modern Malayalam Script (15th–17th century CE)
By this stage, Vattezhuthu + Grantha characters were merged into a unified system. This allowed Malayalam to represent both native Dravidian sounds and imported Sanskrit phonetics.
● Proofs:
□ Nedumangad copper plates (12th century CE) – show transitional script.□ Chokramudi temple inscriptions (14th–15th century CE) – contain mixed script usage.
Comparative Note: Tamil vs. Malayalam Inscriptions
Tamil Inscriptions (Sangam & Pallava period, 2nd century BCE – 10th century CE)
● Example:□ Found across Tamil Nadu, using Tamil-Brahmi → Pallava Grantha → Tamil script.□ Tamil inscriptions consistently avoided Sanskritic letters, reflecting a pure Dravidian phonetic base.
■Uraiyur, Pudukkottai, Madurai inscriptions (2nd century BCE onwards).
Kerala Inscriptions (Chera period onwards, 9th century CE – 14th century CE)
□ Found in Travancore, Kollam, Kodungallur, Thiruvalla, and northern Kerala.□ Show Vattezhuthu mixed with Grantha characters, proving Kerala’s distinct path.
● Example:
■Vazhappally copper plate (9th century CE, Chera ruler Rama Rajasekhara) – earliest official Malayalam document.■Tharisappalli plates (849 CE) – early Malayalam usage with Sanskrit influence.
By the 13th century, inscriptions in Kerala show clear divergence from Tamil script and language.
Conclusion of Comparison:
● Tamil inscriptions evolved towards the modern Tamil script (without Sanskrit letters).
● Kerala inscriptions evolved towards modern Malayalam script (by blending Vattezhuthu and Grantha).
● This inscriptional divergence proves that Malayalam separated from Tamil not by missionary effort, but by internal evolution between the 9th and 13th centuries CE.
The Influence of Ezhuthachan and Sanskritization
The towering figure in Malayalam’s literary history is Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan (16th century CE). He is often called the Father of the Malayalam language not because he “created” it, but because he gave Malayalam its literary dignity and cultural identity.
● Ezhuthachan adopted the mixed script (Vattezhuthu + Grantha) for his works, setting the precedent for all later writers.● His Adhyatma Ramayanam in Malayalam became a cultural cornerstone.● He infused the language with Sanskrit vocabulary, meter, and aesthetics, strengthening Malayalam’s ability to stand alongside classical Indian languages.
The Missionary Myth and Distortions
A persistent but false narrative claims that European missionaries “created” or “modernized” Malayalam script. The reality is very different:
● Missionaries arrived in Kerala in the 16th century CE and struggled to understand the complex Malayalam scripts.● To aid printing, they simplified certain letters and at times distorted shapes because traditional characters were too intricate for their early printing presses.● What they produced were crude approximations, not genuine reforms.● Their role was limited to printing adaptations, not script development.
Therefore, missionaries did not give Malayalam its letters. In fact, their lack of mastery often resulted in distorted lipis, which later spread due to printed materials. As printing spread, the missionary-distorted forms of Malayalam letters became more widespread. Over time, these simplified shapes entered public use because printed material circulated widely. In that sense, the development of modern prose in Malayalam is credited to the missionary print media.This gave rise to the impression that missionaries had created or standardized Malayalam.
In truth:
□ The authentic Malayalam script already existed in inscriptions, palm-leaf manuscripts, and Ezhuthachan’s works.□ Missionary typesetters were merely amateur imitators, producing degraded versions of real Malayalam letters.□ The true evolution of Malayalam script was the work of Kerala’s own scholars and cultural forces, long before missionary involvement.
Early Sanskrit-based tradition
Like other Dravidian languages, Malayalam originally inherited its grammatical framework from Sanskrit and Tamil traditions. For centuries, scholars treated Malayalam as a dialect of Tamil, so Tamil grammatical works such as Tolkāppiyam were indirectly applied.
First Malayalam grammar
The first known grammar of Malayalam was “Leelathilakam” (14th century CE), written in old Manipravalam (a mixture of Malayalam and Sanskrit).
It mainly dealt with the correct usage of Manipravalam in poetry, not a full scientific grammar of the language, but it is considered the earliest grammatical treatise related to Malayalam.
European contributions
The first printed grammar of Malayalam was written by Hermann Gundert (a German missionary-scholar) in 1859, titled “A Grammar of the Malayalam Language in Historical Treatment.”
Gundert systematized Malayalam grammar in a modern linguistic way and also compiled the first Malayalam-English dictionary.
Mordern malayalam Grammar
After Gundert, several Indian scholars like A.R. Raja Raja Varma further refined Malayalam grammar. His book “Kerala Panineeyam” (1896) is regarded as the authoritative grammar of Malayalam and often called the "Panini of Malayalam," since he modeled it on the precision of Panini’s Sanskrit grammar.
Conclusion
Malayalam is the product of a thousand-year organic evolution: born from Tamil roots, shaped by its own scripts (Vattezhuthu, Kolezhuthu, Malayanma), enriched by Grantha, and elevated by Ezhuthachan’s genius. Inscriptions and copper plates prove its indigenous growth. The missionary claim to its creation is a historical distortion; at best, they introduced flawed printing adaptations. But it is indeniable they have helped to the development of prose and grammar. The heart and soul of Malayalam remain deeply indigenous, tied to the soil, culture, and spiritual traditions of Kerala.
Tamil inscriptions → no Sanskrit letters → pure Tamil script.
Kerala inscriptions → Sanskrit + Dravidian → mixed script → Malayalam.
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