Chlorophyll in Malayalam
Chlorophyll is ഹരിതകം (harithakam) in Malayalam science writing, built on the word for green. School textbooks use it; outside the classroom it is rarely heard, since speakers tend to keep the English term.
Most common translation
Chlorophyll, chlorine, green colour of leaves, lion.
ഇലകളിൽ ഹരിതകം ഉള്ളതിനാൽ പച്ച നിറമാണ്.
ilakalil harithakam ullathinaal pacha niramaan.
Leaves are green because they contain chlorophyll.
Dictionary entry
- ഹരിതകം (harithakam) — Chlorophyll, chlorine, green colour of leaves, lion.
The same word also covers chlorine and the greenness of leaves, so only a biology or chemistry context makes clear which sense is meant.
Common questions
How do you say chlorophyll in Malayalam?
ഹരിതകം (harithakam) is the term used in textbooks for chlorophyll.
Do Malayalam speakers really use harithakam in conversation?
Not often. In everyday talk the English word chlorophyll is more likely, with the Malayalam reserved for written science.