Tug-of-war in Malayalam
Tug-of-war is വടംവലി (vadamvali), rope-pulling, and that is what the game is called at every school sports day in Kerala. Four beats, va-dam-va-li. Newspapers also use it as a figure for a political standoff.
Most common translation
Tug-of-war.
ഉത്സവത്തിൽ വടംവലി മത്സരം ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു.
uthsavathil vadamvali mathsaram undaayirunnu.
There was a tug-of-war contest at the festival.
All Malayalam words for “tug-of-war”
- വടംവലി (vadamvali) — Tug-of-war.
- കമ്പവലി (kambavali) — Tug-of-war.
കമ്പവലി (kambavali) is the same game named after the pole or stick instead of the rope, a regional variant you will hear less often.
Common questions
How do you say tug-of-war in Malayalam?
Tug-of-war is വടംവലി (vadamvali).
Is vadamvali used figuratively?
Often. A long dispute between two sides is described as a വടംവലി (vadamvali), exactly as English speaks of a tug-of-war.