Magic Squares

Let's take a detour today and look at magic squares.

സു	മ	തി
മ	രു	ന്നു
തി	ന്നു	ന്നു

This can be read across and down to read the same (though, with a little bit of 'cheating' in the pronunciation of ന്നു.)

Let us try something (hopefully) easier - Just making valid words reading across and down.

A small example is

പ	ത
ക	ല

A variant is

പ	ത
ക	റ

Can you think of other 2x2 magic squares? 

Moving words

The root സര in Sanskrit means to move, to flow, etc.  Some of the commonly used words in Malayalam are derived from this root, however, their meanings are very different today and one has to look deeper to get the connection with the flow.

പാദസരം  is anklet. പാദത്തിൽ സരിക്കുന്നത് = that which moves around the feet. This derivation is quite straight forward.

അവസരം is opportunity. It comes from അവ (downwards) + സരം (moving). Literally it means "befalling". Of course, opportunity befalls many times.

പരിസരം means environment. പരി (around) + സരം. That which moves around - which is the environment.

അനുസരണം means discipline. If we look closely at the components we see that it comes from അനു (following) + സരണം  (the act of moving). So literally, it means following behind, trailing behind etc. Of course, when you are acting in discipline you are following some set of norms or rules or guidelines.

പ്രസരണം means to spread out. It comes from പ്ര- (outwards) + സരണം (movement).

There are some other words, like ഉത്സരം (upward moving) which are used very closely in meaning with original Sanskrit.

Do you know other words that contain the സരം root?

Mortar and Pestle

Mortar and Pestle used to be a household staple in olden times. They are called ഉരൽ and ഉലക്ക, respectively.

ഉരൽ comes from ഉര- , to grind. But what about ഉലക്ക?

Interestingly, it also comes from the same root. One etymology is that ഉരം + കൽ = ഉരംക്കൽ -> ഉലക്ക.

(r --> l sound change has been attested in many languages and many words. )