Malayalam Slang Words – 10 Famous Terms

Malayalam Slang Words

When it comes to spoken language, rules are designed to be disregarded, and no one knows this better than the eternally sarcastic Malayali youth. Learn some of the most well-known Malayalam slang words using the Ling app in this article.

Malayalam has a long history of loaning words or borrowing terms from various foreign tongues. It is true even in some of the most prevalent Malayalam slang terms and phrases used by Malayalees in regular interactions. The following are some of the more interesting Malayalam Slang Words acquired by the Ling app.

Unique But Famous Malayalam Slangs Words

Yemandan (യമണ്ടൻ)

adj. unusually powerful and/or huge

The name was inspired by a German warship named SMS Emden, believe it or not. The ship, named after the German town of Emden, played an essential role in the German navy during World War I. It operated in the South and Southeast Asian oceans. Many merchant ships and European military were sunk during their excursions in the Bay of Bengal and afterward in the Arabian Sea (near the coast of Kerala).

One of the declared goals of these activities was to lower the British status among the native population. The shelling of Madras was the most well-known of these operations. The ship lit up the night sky by destroying oil tanks around the Madras port resulting in huge explosions. In the south of India, the SMS Emden quickly became a symbol of destruction and terror.

As a result, the word Yamandan, a perversion of the ship’s name, became excellent for something massive and robust in local folklore.

Malayalam Slang Words On Company Service

OC (ഓസ്സി/ഓസ്സ്)

At someone else’s expense, get something for free.

There was a facility for mailing official letters and goods without paying postage during the East India Company’s days. On Company Service, or OCS, was imprinted on these letters. Several of the company servants started misusing the facility and began mailing personal stuff designated OCS. In common language, OCS was reduced to OC and used as one of the Malayalam slang words for everything other than just letters.

In Tamil, the phrase has the same meaning. As this newspaper story implies, it most likely arrived in Malayalam via Tamil.

KD (കേഡി)

A trouble maker or thug

This one is easy to understand. KD stands for ‘Known Depredator,’ a word used in the Indian Penal Code for a petty criminal who commits offenses regularly. Even now, most police stations (which varies by state) are mandated to maintain an up-to-date list of KDs on hand.

This term is found in all South Indian languages. However, Kannada and Tamil may use it more frequently.

Knappan (ക്ണാപ്പൻ)

A good for nothing guy

Sir Arthur Rowland Knapp was a British Indian Civil Services officer who served as the collector of the Madras presidency’s Malabar region. Many of his administrative initiatives were futile and unpopular due to his lack of expertise and knowledge of the intricacies of the local culture.

Sir Knapp’s name became synonymous with ineptitude even after he left Malabar, and his name was finally incorporated into Malayalam as Knappan. In truth, Sir Knapp went on to have a very eminent career after his reign in Malabar. He then became the secretary of the Madras Board of Revenue and a member of the Madras Legislative Council.

Aaddyen(ആഡ്യൻ) And Klaver(ക്ലാവര്‍)

Card suits hearts (♥) and spades (♣)

The ultimate time killer, 28, is one of Kerala’s most popular card games. This game is based on a family of card games known as the Jass family, which originated in the Netherlands. It may have come to Kerala in the 18th century via Dutch traders from Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka) or North Indian immigrants from South Africa.

I’ve often wondered why various names know the card suits in different parts of the world than English. The explanation is simple: these cards and games arrived in Kerala before the British arrived, and their names are variations of their Dutch names – Klaver means clubs, while Harten means hearts in Dutch!

Tail Ender

These are relatively new additions to the Malayalam vocab. Many more loan words have entered the language over time, and most of them are now considered part of the language. Without mentioning a few of them, this essay would be incomplete.

Malayalam Slang Words Interesting

5 Other Interesting Malayalam Slang Words

These are the kind of Malayalam vocabulary you use to make fun of your mallu pal. But do you understand what they’re saying? Here is a collection of great Malayalam slang words and some phrases that you should learn.

Malayalam Slang Words PronunciationMalayalam LanguageLiteral Meaning of Malayalam Slang Words Usage of these Malayalam Slang Words
Ayyoഅയ്യോOh shit!Ayyo! What the heck is this?
Machaanമച്ചാൻDudeHey! Wassap machaan?
Kidu/ kidullanകിടു/ കിഡുള്ളൻCoolIt is a kidullan shot!
Kirmi Kadiകിർമി കാഡിItching caused in the ass by a wormThere is no solution to his kirmi kadi, is there?
Pottanപൊട്ടൻA foolHe is such a pottan. He even copied the roll number of another fellow.

Master Malayalam With Ling

If you are done learning these Malayalam slang words, try the Ling app to study Malayalam in more depth. The most excellent interactive language software uses fun and exciting quizzes and games to teach you basic vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and spelling in over 60+ languages.

The Ling app is your best companion when you’re at home, at school, at work, or just traveling around the Malayalam-speaking regions like Kerala, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry, where other Malayali people live. Download the app now on your iOS or Android device, and you’ll enjoy learning Malayalam even with zero to basic knowledge.

Want to learn more? You may also read some of the most relevant blogs while learning Malayalam slang terms and phrases, such as “Greetings in Malayalam” and “Basic words and phrases in Malayalam.”

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