It is interesting how the same etymology in two languages gave rise to related concepts.
In Malayalam, the word for room is മുറി. It comes from the root മുറിയുക, to split. After all, a room is a split or portion of the house. Compare, തേങ്ങാമുറി - the half of a coconut.
The word for wall is ഭിത്തി. This is a തത്സമം from Sanskrit. It comes from the root भित which means to 'split'.
Thus the etymology is identical in both words. One came to mean room and the other came to mean wall. In other words, one focused attention on 'that which splits' and the other on 'that which is split into'.
For comparison, the English word room comes from PIE root *reuƏ which means to open up. Wall comes from a root that originally meant post or pillar - presumably, the original wall was made by a row of posts.
In Malayalam, the word for room is മുറി. It comes from the root മുറിയുക, to split. After all, a room is a split or portion of the house. Compare, തേങ്ങാമുറി - the half of a coconut.
The word for wall is ഭിത്തി. This is a തത്സമം from Sanskrit. It comes from the root भित which means to 'split'.
Thus the etymology is identical in both words. One came to mean room and the other came to mean wall. In other words, one focused attention on 'that which splits' and the other on 'that which is split into'.
For comparison, the English word room comes from PIE root *reuƏ which means to open up. Wall comes from a root that originally meant post or pillar - presumably, the original wall was made by a row of posts.
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