Dileep M. Kumar wrote on Mon, Sep 01, 2003 at 11:00:13AM +0530: ,---- | The word Kappam is in Malayalam too. There is another word | "Chungam". This also means Kappam (A sort of tax/fees given to a King | for protecting the land/people. King/Lords (Nattu Raja) of smaller | states gave this to Chakravarti (King of Kingdoms). `----
Chungam / Kappam et al are derived from Tamil. Malayalam being a tamil + sanskrit derivate is bound to have a lot of things in common with Tamil / sanskrit and hence I think there is no point in trying to find "pure" malayalam words. Especially words like 'sungam' or 'kappam' might all have formed much later in the history of these languages that they could have very well been imported from elsewhere.
,---- | Swatantra Software Sabha - Sounds fine. We have to find an appropriate | term for Software also. I read in one magazine a term for Computer - | "Ganana Yanthram" `----
In tamil the equivalent is 'men porul' (men = soft, porul = thing/ware).. But Ganana Soothram sounds good.
best,
-Suraj