Combining Words:(]Zk¦e\w)

When two letters are combined, it is kÔn. When two or more words are combined, it is kamkw . Malayalam extensively uses kÔn and kamkw for creating new words using the process of ]Zk¦e\w (combining words). In the following table, the formation of all the combined words used in the above passage are shown:

In this passage by O. V. Vijayan, we have 18 sentences. There are 27 free-standing words and 46 combined words. Malayalam is extensively using the combination of words in prose and poetry.

A comparison with English is essential to understand the fundamental differences between the two languages.

The following passage is from “India – A Wounded Civilization”, written by V. S. Naipaul, a Nobel laureate and a person of Indian origin.

“SOMETIMES OLD INDIA, the old, eternal India many Indians like to talk about, does see just to go on. During the last war some British soldiers, who were training in chemical warfare, were stationed in the far south of the country, near a thousand year old Hindu temple. The temple had a pet crocodile. The soldiers, understandably, shot the crocodile. They also in some way – perhaps by their presence alone – defiled the temple. Soon, however, the soldiers went away and the British left India altogether. Now, more than thirty years after the defilement, and in another season of emergency, the temple has been renovated and a new statue of the temple deity is being installed”

There are 7 sentences and 113 words in the above passage. Out of 113 words, only 2 are combined words, which are “sometimes” and “altogether”. In Malayalam passage, if the combined words are broken into free-standing words, there are 83 words excluding conjunctions. With the free-standing words, the total number of words in Malayalam passage is 110.

Both English passage and Malayalam passage are comparable in the number of words – but in Malayalam passage 83 words were combined to form 46 combined words. This is the fundamental difference between English and Malayalam. In Malayalam, the user combines words within the framework of grammatical rules to convey different ideas. Hence, combining words and understanding combined words are essential requirements to use Malayalam language.