Saree in Malayalam
A saree is പുടവ (pudava) in Malayalam, the length of cloth a woman wears, and the word has a special place in weddings where the groom presents it to the bride. The middle consonant is retroflex, made with the tongue curled back.
Most common translation
Cloth to wear (usually worn by women), saree.
കല്യാണത്തിന് പുതിയ പുടവ വാങ്ങി.
kalyaanathinu puthiya pudava vaangi.
A new saree was bought for the wedding.
All Malayalam words for “saree”
- പുടവ (pudava) — Cloth to wear (usually worn by women), saree.
- പുടക (pudaka) — Double cloth worn by women, wedding cloth or saree.
- സാരി (saari) — Saree. A long cloth draped around the body by women; sari.
പുടവ is the ordinary word and the one used for the wedding cloth, while പുടക (pudaka) is an older and much less common form for the same double cloth worn by women.
Common questions
How do you say saree in Malayalam?
പുടവ (pudava) is the word, used both for a saree and for cloth a woman wears generally.
Is pudava connected to weddings?
Yes. The ceremonial handing over of the പുടവ (pudava) to the bride is a well known part of Kerala Hindu weddings.