Bathing in Malayalam
Talk about bathing in Kerala and കടവ് (kadavu) soon comes up — the steps or landing on a river where people bathe and boats pull in. It is a concrete, everyday noun in riverside villages. Say ka-da-vu, with a soft d.
Bathing ghat(in a river), landing place in a river, destination.
കടവില് ഒരു തോണി കെട്ടിയിട്ടുണ്ട്
kadavil oru thoni kettiyittundu
A boat is tied at the ghat.
All Malayalam words for “bathing”
- കടവ് (kadavu) — Bathing ghat(in a river), landing place in a river, destination.
- കുളിമുറി (kulimuri) — Bathroom, the room used for bathing and washing.
- തോണി (thoni) — Boat, trough or cistern or tub (for bathing, massaging, etc.).
- നീരാഴി (neerazhi) — Bathing tank(esp. of a palace or temple).
- പുഴക്കടവ് (puzhakkadavu) — Bathing ghat or landing place on the river bank.
കടവ് (kadavu) is the bathing place on a river, പുഴക്കടവ് (puzhakkadavu) spells out that it is on a river bank, and നീരാഴി (neerazhi) is a built bathing tank, usually in a temple or palace. തോണി (thoni) is mainly a boat, and only in one narrow use a tub for bathing.
Common questions
How do you say bathing in Malayalam?
These words name the place rather than the act: കടവ് (kadavu) is a bathing ghat on a river.
What separates കടവ് (kadavu) from നീരാഴി (neerazhi)?
A kadavu is natural, the steps down to a river; a neerazhi is a constructed tank attached to a temple or palace.