Reconstruction:Proto-Dravidian/a-

This Proto-Dravidian entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Dravidian

Root

*a-

that, that there
Antonym: *i-

Usage notes

*a- becomes *aw- before a.

Descendants

Tamil: அ- (a-)

Derived terms

*aw-anṯu (“that man”) (nominal), *awan- (oblique)
- South Dravidian:
  - South Dravidian I: *avan
    - Kannada: ಅವನು (avanu)
    - Tamil-Malayalam:
      - Tamil: அவன் (avaṉ)
      - Malayalam: അവൻ (avaṉ)
      - Aranadan: അവാനു
  - South Dravidian II:
    - Old Telugu: వాన్ౚు (vānṟ̄u)
      - Telugu: వాడు (vāḍu)
    - Kolami: अवन्द् (avand)
*aw-aḷ (“that woman”)
- South Dravidian:
  - Kannada: ಅವಳು (avaḷu)
  - Tamil-Malayalam:
    - Tamil: அவள் (avaḷ)
    - Malayalam: അവൾ (avaḷ)
*a-tu (“that woman or that thing”)
- South Dravidian:
  - South-Central:
    - Kolami: अद् (ad)
    - Telugu: అది (adi)
  - Tamil-Kannada:
    - Kannada: ಅದು (adu)
    - Tamil-Malayalam:
      - Tamil: அது (atu)
      - Malayalam: അത് (atŭ)
*aw-ar (“those persons”)
- South Dravidian:
  - Tulu: ಆವಾಕುಳು (āvākuḷu)
  - Kannada: ಅವರು (avaru)
  - Tamil-Malayalam:
    - Tamil: அவர் (avar)
    - Malayalam: അവർ (avaṟ)
*aw-ay (“those (non-men humans or non-humans)”)
- South Dravidian:
  - Kolami: अदव् (adav)
  - Telugu: అవి (avi)
  - Kannada: ಅವು (avu)
  - Tamil-Malayalam:
    - Tamil: அவை (avai)
    - Malayalam: അവ (ava)
*a-nṯu (“then”)
- South Dravidian:
  - Kannada: ಅಂದು (andu)
  - Toda: அத் (aḏ)
  - Tamil-Malayalam: *anṯu
    - Tamil: அன்று (aṉṟu)
    - Malayalam: അന്ന് (annŭ)

Unsorted formations:
- Tamil: அப்படி (appaṭi), அங்கு (aṅku), அங்கே (aṅkē), அங்கண் (aṅkaṇ), அங்ஙனம் (aṅṅaṉam), அப்பொழுது (appoḻutu), அவ்விடம் (avviṭam), அவ்வாறு (avvāṟu), அப்புறம் (appuṟam)
- Malayalam: അങ്ങനെ (aṅṅane), അവിടെ (aviṭe), അവിടം (aviṭaṁ), അദ്ദേഹം (addēhaṁ), അങ്ങ് (aṅṅŭ), അപ്പോൾ (appōḷ), അപ്പുറം (appuṟaṁ), അത്തരം (attaraṁ)

References

Krishnamurti, Bhadriraju (2003) The Dravidian Languages (Cambridge Language Surveys), Cambridge University Press, →ISBN.
Burrow, T., Emeneau, M. B. (1984) “1”, in A Dravidian etymological dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 1.

		singular	plural
1st person	exclusive	*yĀn	*yĀm
	inclusive	*yĀn	*ñām
	reflexive	*tān	*tām
2nd person		*nīn	*nīm
3rd person	masculine	iwanṯu (proximal) uwanṯu (yonder) awanṯu (distal) yĀwanṯu (interrogative)	iwar (proximal) uwar (yonder) awar (distal) yĀwar (interrogative)
	non-masculine	itu (proximal) utu (yonder) atu (distal) yĀtu (interrogative)	iway (proximal) uway (yonder) away (distal) yĀway (interrogative)