புறா
puṟā/pʊrɑː/
The Tamil word for pigeon is புறா (puṟā).
The word refers to a bird of the dove and pigeon family Columbidae.
Meaning: bird of the dove and pigeon family Columbidae (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /pʊrɑː/. The romanization is puṟā.
Did you know?
- In many Tamil households, feeding 'புறா' is considered a way to gain spiritual merit, making the bird a significant cultural symbol rather than just a pest.
- The word புறா is inherited from the Proto-Dravidian root *puṯac-, a linguistic ancestor that predates the modern Tamil language by thousands of years.
- While English distinguishes between 'pigeon' and 'dove', the Tamil word புறா is used generally for both birds in the Columbidae family.
Examples in context
- புறாக்கள் தானியங்களை உண்ணும்.purākkaḷ tāṉiyaṅkaḷai uṇṇum.Pigeons eat grains.
- வானத்தில் ஒரு புறா பறந்து செல்கிறது.vāṉattil oru purā paṟantu celkiṟatu.A pigeon is flying in the sky.
Example conversation
Arun and Divya are sitting in a park.
- அருண் Arunஅங்கே பார், ஒரு வெள்ளை புறா இருக்கிறது!aṅkē pār, oru veḷḷai purā irukkiraṯu!Look there, there is a white pigeon!
- திவ்யா Divyaஆமாம், அது மிகவும் அமைதியாக இருக்கிறது.āmām, atu mikavum amaitiyāka irukkiraṯu.Yes, it is very calm.
- அருண் Arunஅதற்கு நாம் தானியம் கொடுக்கலாமா?ataṟku nām tāṉiyam koṭukkakalāmā?Shall we give it some grain?
- திவ்யா Divyaநல்ல யோசனை, அருண்.nalla yōcaṉai, aṟuṇ.Good idea, Arun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pigeon” translations and entries புறா, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries புறா, CC BY-SA 4.0.
