Sound in Malayalam
For a sound you can hear, everyday Malayalam reaches for ഒച്ച (ocha), which stretches from a noise in the next room to a rumour going around. The double ch gives it a sharp, spoken feel, and it is common in Kerala homes rather than in formal prose. Writing tends to prefer a Sanskritic word instead.
Sound, noise, rumour, fame, din, clamour, voice.
പുറത്ത് എന്തോ ഒച്ച കേട്ടു.
purathu entho ocha kettu.
I heard some noise outside.
All Malayalam words for “sound”
- ഒച്ച (ocha) — Sound, noise, rumour, fame, din, clamour, voice.
- ഇശ (isha) — Sound, song, sweet voice.
- ധ്വനം (dhwanam) — Sound, voice, noise, echo.
- നാദം (naadam) — Sound, noise, voice, echo.
- സ്വരം (swaram) — Sound, voice, vowel (gram).
- ഹ്രാദം (hraadam) — Sound.
- ധ്വാനം (dhwaanam) — Echo, sound, voice, humming.
- ശബ്ദങ്ങൾ (shabdangal) — Sounds, noises, the things one hears; the plural of shabdam, sound.
- ശ്രുതി (shruthi) — Hearing, news, rumour, sound, ear, scripture, (mus.) background tune, increasing the tone.
- അനുസ്വാരം (anuswaram) — The nasal sound 'm'.
- ഇടി (idi) — Thunder. The loud sound in the sky during rain; also a thump or blow.
- ഇരമ്പല് (irambal) — Roar, loud sound.
- കാഹളം (kahalam) — Trumpet, drum, din, loud sound.
- കുറുകുക (kurukuka) — Become small or short, become viscous, thicken, make a cooling sound.
- കേട്ടു (kettu) — Heard, caught a sound, came to hear of something; the past form of kelkkuka.
- കേൾക്കുക (kelkkuka) — To listen, to hear, to pay attention to what is said; listening. Paying attention to a sound; hearing someone with care.
- ക്ലിക്ക് ചെയ്യുക (klikk cheyyuka) — Click; to press a mouse button or tap a link on a screen, also the small sharp sound of something snapping.
- ഗര്ജ്ജനം (garjjanam) — Roar, loud cry of lion or elephant, cry of rage, sound of thunder, shouting.
- ഞൊടി (nodi) — Snap of the fingers or the sound produced by snapping, a moment.
- ടെലിവിഷൻ (telivishan) — Television; the set that shows pictures and sound, also the programmes broadcast on it.
- ധ്വനനം (dhwananam) — Sounding, making a sound, hinting, suggestion.
- നൊടിക്കുക (nodikkuka) — Make a clicking sound with the fingers.
- പാടവം (padavam) — Skill, cleverness, dexterity, efficiency, sound health.
- പിരുപിരുക്കുക (pirupirukkuka) — Forth, precipitate, make a rustling sound, move slowly.
- പുഴക്കുക (puzhakkuka) — Fell trees by digging around, uproot, rend, produce a cracking sound.
- പൊട്ടയിടുക (pottayiduka) — Crack the joints of the finger (to produce a clicking sound), crack the knuckles.
- പൊട്ടല് (pottal) — Crack, breach, cracking or breaking sound, barren field, unopened ears of corn.
- പോപ്പ് (popp) — Pop; popular light modern music; the word also means a small bursting sound.
- പ്രഘോഷം (praghosham) — Boisterous revelry, uproarious sound, emblazoning.
- മണിനാദം (maninaadam) — Sound of bell, ringing sound, jingle peal.
- മണിമുഴക്കം (manimuzhakkam) — Peal of bells, the ringing sound of a bell.
- വാക്ക് (vaakk) — Word, sound produced by man denoting some sense, saying, rumour, advice, promise.
- വ്യാപ്തം (vyaaptham) — Volume; the amount of space a thing fills, its capacity; the loudness of sound is usually called voliyam and a book in a set is a vaalyam.
- ശബ്ദിക്കുക (shabdikkuka) — Make a sound or noise, speak, utter.
നാദം (naadam) is a resonant or musical sound and സ്വരം (swaram) is a voice or a vowel, so neither covers noise in general. ധ്വനം (dhwanam) and ധ്വാനം (dhwaanam) lean towards echo, and ഹ്രാദം (hraadam) is rare outside dictionaries.
Common questions
How do you say sound in Malayalam?
In speech, ഒച്ച (ocha); for a musical or sustained sound, നാദം (naadam).
Which word would a grammar book use for a vowel sound?
സ്വരം (swaram), which means both voice and vowel.