Holes in knowledge

The contemporary meaning of വിവരം is knowledge, news, education, etc.

Did you know that the original (Sanskrit) meaning is hole?

വിവരം comes from the Sanskrit root വിവൃ which originally means to open up, to uncover etc. It is the same root where വിവൃതം = open comes from.

Thus, വിവരം means opening or hole and also opening up or expansion. This later became morphed into exposition and elaboration.

Nowadays it just means knowledge!

What is the opposite of a cirlce?

Question: What is the opposite of circle (വട്ടം)?

Answer: വിട്ടം

Explanation:

The word വിട്ടം is the തത്ഭവം of വിഷ്ടം, which comes from Sanskrit വിശതി, meaning to enter or to go through. Thus വിഷ്ടം = വേശിക്കപ്പെട്ടത് , something that goes through.

Apparently, this comes from ancient architecture. വിട്ടം is the rafter that goes across (like a diameter) a circle (വട്ടം).

Thus  a വട്ടം goes around, whereas വിട്ടം goes across.

നിർവാണം

എല്ലാമെന്റെ മനോരഥങ്ങളൊടുവിൽ,
         വല്ലാത്തൊരീ ചിന്തകൾ

 

Wandering around in a forest

Consider the following words:

പര്യടനം = touring around
ഭിക്ഷാടനം = wandering around begging
ദേശാടനം = traveling around places

If you suspected they all came from possibly the same root, your suspicion would be right.

പര്യടനം = പരി + അടനം
ഭിക്ഷാടനം = ഭിക്ഷ + അടനം
ദേശാടനം = ദേശ + അടനം

The word അടനം means traveling around. It comes from the Sanskrit root "at". In Sanskrit, അടതി = he/she travels.

Another word that comes from the same root is അടവി. It means forest. Forest is called അടവി because once can wander around in a forest.