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226
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[OCTOBER, 1924
(c) Mr. Vonkayya points out the word ullata instead of ullatu as a distinotly Malayalam word, but in that tongue both the forms ulata and ulatu are used. Whether it is written ullata or u!!atu pronunciation is the same. The last vowel is pronounood somewhat between a and u. I wonder whether Mr. Venkayya took note of the fact that the form a instead of
is used only once in this document, whereas the latter form is used sixteen times-antu, chakravarttik ku, ndyaru, irupattonru, pattinattu, chetti cku iravik korttan ukku (twice), alannu, uppinātu, sarkkarayotu, kasturiótu, viļakkennayotu, kopurattotu, kaiyeļuttu. In the Mâmpalli plate of Quilon dated Kollam 149, i.e., 973 A.D.,. cheytha is used instead of cheythu (Epigraphia Indica, Vol. IX, p. 236).
The noxt Malayalam word pointed out is ița. The word itai is used in the Kaviyûr (Middle Travancore) inscription of 951 A.D. Mr. Venkayya here does not refer to the form of a instead of ai which is already referred to. The next word pointed out is wideshal. The Malayalam form is tho affix al. The affix al (avirôtattal) is used in the Tiruvalla inscription of the ninth century and the Kantiyûr inscription of the tenth century. Again this affix al (Aiyyanatikatiruvatiyâl) is used in the Kottayam plates of the ninth century written at Quilon.
(d) Then Mr. Venkayy& points out koyilakam He says: “The word kôyil alone is used in the sense of a royal palace. In the present inscription köyilakam means a royal palace as in modern Malayalam.” It is pardonable that he should make such a mistake regarding a Malayalam word. In Malayalam too K6yil19 means palace or temple though not very much in use, and koyila kam means inside of a palace or temple. The full expression is perumkóyilakattirunnarula (sitting in the great palace). If we take away akam it would be perumkóyilirunnarula which has no meaning whatever.
The following Malayalam forms in addition to those already noted are found in the inscriptions of the time of Parkara Iravi:
Nu instead of pukkun mapdritattinu, tiruvamiritinu, tiruvakkirattinu, viļuvipu, marronriņu, náttinu, ponninu, pallittanattiņu, tiruvalakiņu, 'amiritiņu (T. A. S., Vol. II, pp. 36, 39, 43, 44, 47, 49) Nukku form also is used.
nå for me. Parutanni, mannalam, vdrint, marainattu, tenna, chinnam (Ibid., Vol. II, pp. 36, 43, 44, 47, 49).
Ari for arichi. (Ibid., p. 47.)
Again in the Tiruvalla temple plates of the time of Pårkara Iravi we find the following Malayalam forms:
rin formal. Teina, tuganni, palannari, kulansara, nannaiyar, annați, tannal, mannalam. Mk also is used.
Thus we find a large number of Malayalam forms in the sixth century inscriptions of middle Travancore, and we find them even in so far south a place as Tiruvitaikôtu during the ninth century. But we do not find a single Malayalam form in the Rajasekara inscription which is the only writing of Keralam available free from Malayalam forms. The Rajasekhara inscription, therefore, is the most ancient record yet found in Keralam.
Evidence in support of an early date. Having shown the error in the argument brought forward by Mr. Venkayya, it remains to be considered whether we can form any idea as to date of our copper plate on a linguistic basis.
(1) There is a book on the Malayalam language known as the Lilatilakam which is written in Sanskrit. It has been translated and published in Malayalam. The latter part of the fourteenth century is the date indisputably assigned to it. I translate a portion from this work. “What do you find in Malayalam poetry (mani pravdla) whether old or new? Is it vantan, iruntan? Is it not vanndn irunnan ? Is it thêmka, mamlon, kafichi, panchi ? Is it not tenna, manna, kaini, pann? Is it ydn, yanai? Is it not nan, dna? Is it atinai, itinai, avarrai, ivarrai? Is it not atine,
10 Köyilklal poyi means to the place or templo.
