Here is an interesting application of Malayalam etymology that I came across the other day.
The famous നളചരിതം ആട്ടക്കഥ was written by ഉണ്ണായിവാര്യർ. There is also another work രാമപഞ്ചശതി written by a രാമൻ. Literary criticism points to these two works being written by the same author.
But, how can രാമൻ be the same person as ഉണ്ണായിവാര്യർ?
Looking at the origin of the name ഉണ്ണായിവാര്യർ clarifies things a bit. The part വാര്യർ is the caste name. So the poet's name was ഉണ്ണായി. Here is a possible chain, proposed by poets like ഉള്ളൂർ:
രാമൻ was affectionately called ഉണ്ണിരാമൻ . Like, മായ becomes ഉണ്ണിമായ, and കൃഷ്ണൻ becomes ഉണ്ണിക്കൃഷ്ണൻ.
ഉണ്ണിരാമൻ got shorted to ഉണ്‍രാമൻ and in turn to ഉണ്ണാമൻ.
ഉണ്ണാമൻ became ഉണ്ണാവൻ (like അമ്മാമൻ transformed to അമ്മാവൻ, and കമുങ്ങ് became കവുങ്ങ് )
ഉണ്ണാവൻ + വാര്യർ = ഉണ്ണാവാര്യർ
ഉണ്ണാവാര്യർ further got shortened to ഉണ്ണാവി.
ഉണ്ണാവി then transformed to ഉണ്ണായി, like അമ്മാവി becomes അമ്മായി or തെയ് വം became തെയ്യം
Thus, രാമവാര്യർ came to be known as ഉണ്ണായിവാര്യർ!
Of course, this chain is not a "proof" that they were the same person. Other literary and historical evidence also points to these two being the same poets. However, the etymology chain is an important supporting evidence.
The famous നളചരിതം ആട്ടക്കഥ was written by ഉണ്ണായിവാര്യർ. There is also another work രാമപഞ്ചശതി written by a രാമൻ. Literary criticism points to these two works being written by the same author.
But, how can രാമൻ be the same person as ഉണ്ണായിവാര്യർ?
Looking at the origin of the name ഉണ്ണായിവാര്യർ clarifies things a bit. The part വാര്യർ is the caste name. So the poet's name was ഉണ്ണായി. Here is a possible chain, proposed by poets like ഉള്ളൂർ:
രാമൻ was affectionately called ഉണ്ണിരാമൻ . Like, മായ becomes ഉണ്ണിമായ, and കൃഷ്ണൻ becomes ഉണ്ണിക്കൃഷ്ണൻ.
ഉണ്ണിരാമൻ got shorted to ഉണ്‍രാമൻ and in turn to ഉണ്ണാമൻ.
ഉണ്ണാമൻ became ഉണ്ണാവൻ (like അമ്മാമൻ transformed to അമ്മാവൻ, and കമുങ്ങ് became കവുങ്ങ് )
ഉണ്ണാവൻ + വാര്യർ = ഉണ്ണാവാര്യർ
ഉണ്ണാവാര്യർ further got shortened to ഉണ്ണാവി.
ഉണ്ണാവി then transformed to ഉണ്ണായി, like അമ്മാവി becomes അമ്മായി or തെയ് വം became തെയ്യം
Thus, രാമവാര്യർ came to be known as ഉണ്ണായിവാര്യർ!
Of course, this chain is not a "proof" that they were the same person. Other literary and historical evidence also points to these two being the same poets. However, the etymology chain is an important supporting evidence.
