Slippery in Malayalam
Slippery is പിച്ചില (pichila), a Sanskrit adjective that also means milky or viscous, which is a fair description of what makes a surface slippery. It is a written word, the sort found in medical and botanical descriptions. In speech Kerala uses a phrase built on the verb for slipping.
Slippery, milky, having a tail.
മഴ പെയ്തപ്പോൾ വഴി പിച്ചിലമായി.
mazha peythappol vazhi pichilamaayi.
The path became slippery when it rained.
Dictionary entry
- പിച്ചില (pichila) — Slippery, milky, having a tail.
The entry lists an unrelated third sense about having a tail, a reminder that this is a dictionary word rather than a conversational one.
Common questions
How do you say slippery in Malayalam?
പിച്ചില (pichila) in writing; in speech people describe the surface with the verb for slipping.
Why does it also mean milky?
The Sanskrit root covers anything slimy or unctuous, so slipperiness and a milky, viscous quality share one word.