കഴുത
kaḻuta/kɐɻud̪ɐ/
The word for donkey in Malayalam is കഴുത (kaḻuta).
കഴുത is a noun used to refer to the domestic animal known as a donkey or an ass.
Meaning: a domestic animal (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /kɐɻud̪ɐ/. The romanization is kaḻuta.
Did you know?
- In Kerala, the domestic donkey is rare, so കഴുത is more frequently heard in insults or fables than in descriptions of actual animals in the street.
- The retroflex 'zha' sound in കഴുത is so distinct that it is often used as a litmus test to identify native speakers of Malayalam versus other South Indian languages.
- The word കഴുത stems from the Proto-Dravidian root *kaẓutay, which was used thousands of years ago across a much larger geographic area than modern Kerala.
Examples in context
- ആ കഴുത അവിടെ നിൽക്കുന്നു.aa kazhutha avide nilkkunnu.That donkey is standing there.
- കഴുതയ്ക്ക് പുല്ല് കൊടുക്കൂ.kazhuthaikku pullu kodukkoo.Give grass to the donkey.
- ഒരു കഴുതയെ കാണിച്ചു തന്നോ?oru kazhuthaaye kaanichu thanno?Did you show me a donkey?
Example conversation
Meera and Vishnu are looking at animals in a field.
- മീര Meeraവിഷ്ണു, നോക്കൂ! അവിടെ ഒരു കഴുതയുണ്ട്.Vishnu, nookkoo! avide oru kazhuthayundu.Vishnu, look! There is a donkey there.
- വിഷ്ണു Vishnuഅതെ, അത് കാണാൻ നല്ല രസമുണ്ട്.athe, athu kaanaan nalla rasamundu.Yes, it looks very interesting.
- മീര Meeraകഴുത എത്ര പാവമാണ്!kazhutha ethra paavamaanu!How innocent the donkey is!
- വിഷ്ണു Vishnuസത്യം, അത് വളരെ ശാന്തമാണ്.sathyam, athu valare shanthamaanu.True, it is very calm.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “donkey” translations and entries കഴുത, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries കഴുത, CC BY-SA 4.0.
