6 Glossary of Literary and Technical Abbreviations
Navigating the literature “ransacked” by Gundert requires a thorough understanding of the abbreviations used to cite the historical authority of each entry.
Multi-Column Glossary of Abbreviations
|
Abbreviation
|
Meaning
|
Abbreviation
|
Meaning
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
a M.
|
ancient Malayāḷam
|
RC.
|
Rāma Charitam
|
|
a med.
|
ancient Medical Treatises
|
TR.
|
Tellicherry Records (1796-1799)
|
|
Chintar.
|
Chintā-ratnam
|
Nasr.
|
Nasrāṇis
|
|
G.
|
Greek (tongue)
|
L.
|
Latin (tongue)
|
|
V1.
|
Verapoly Dict. (Mal. & Port.)
|
V2.
|
Verapoly Dict. (Port. & Mal.)
|
Navigating the Primary Sources A student should recognize that a reference like Rāma Charitam (RC) denotes the earliest phase of the language, predating the Sanskrit alphabet’s introduction and Portuguese contact. In contrast, the Tellicherry Records (TR) represent the height of 18th-century administrative prose. Together, these sources allow the dictionary to serve as a complete historical record of Malayalam’s evolution.
