Proto-South Dravidian : *mūt-/*mud-
Meaning : old
Tamil : mutu
Tamil meaning : old, ancient
Tamil derivates : mutt-eyil ancient fortress; mutumai antiquity, oldness, old age, proverb, maturity; mutāri being old or ancient, that which is ripe; mutiyavan_, mutiyan_, mutiyān_ aged man, elder, senior, Brahmā; mutiyāḷ elderly woman, woman possessed by a spirit; mutiyōḷ old woman, goddess; mutiyōr persons of ripe wisdom; mutir (-v-, -nt-) to grow old, have the qualities of age, become mature, grow ripe; mutircci maturity, ripened condition, great age, excellence in learning or experience; mutirvu maturity, ripened condition, great age; mutuvar elders, old persons, persons of ripe wisdom, men of experience, counsellors; mutuval that which is time-worn; mutuvōr elders, men of experience, the great, the elders as king, teacher, mother, father, elder brother, poets; mutai, mutai-ppun_am ground long under cultivation; mutaiyal wild jungle, ancient forest; mū (-pp-, -tt-) to become old, be older than another, be senior in age; n. old age; mūvār the Devas as never ageing; mū-tēvi the elder sister of Lakṣmī, goddess of misfortune; mūtt-appan_ father's father; mūttavan_ one who is senior in age, elder brother, superior; mūttār aged persons, elders, husbands, elder brother; mūttāḷ aged woman, elder sister, first wife; mūttōn_ aged person, elderly man, senior, elder brother, Gaṇeśa (as the eldest of Śiva's sons), man between 48 and 64 years of age; mūtāṭkaḷ forefathers, ancestors; mūtāṭṭi aged woman; mūtāḷan_ aged man; mūtu oldness, elderliness; mūtai old, past, ancient; ground cleared of wood and prepared for tillage; mūppar elders in age, superiors, deacons; mūppan_ headman in some castes; mūppān_ elder, Śiva; mūppi aged woman, woman of distinction; mūppu seniority in age, old age, power of management, leadership
Malayalam : mutu
Malayalam meaning : old, prior, ripe
Malayalam derivates : mutukkan old man; mutuma a choice word (opp. putuma); muta jungle land brought for the first time under cultivation; mutiruka to grow up, become mature; mutircca growth, tallness; mutirppu maturity; mutt-appan grandfather; mutu-mutt-appan great-grandfather; muttan old man; mutti old woman; grandmother; mūkka to grow, grow old, ripen, ferment; mū-dēvi elder sister of Lakṣmī, goddess of misfortune; mūtu prior; mūtta old, grown (opp. iḷaya); mūttatu old, elder; mūttappan father's elder brother, father's father; mūttamma elder sister of mother or father, mother's mother; mūttācci grandmother; mūttavan elder, senior, elder brother; mūttān an old Nayar, senior; mūttōr old men; a title of barons in Kaḍattuwanāḍu; mūppu old age, maturity, seniority, a right of inheritance, an office of dignity; mūppan old man, senior, elder, president; the headman of a class (a title bestowed by Rājas on Tīyars and Māpḷas); a caste of jungle dwellers in Wayanāḍu, agrestic slaves
Kannada : muttu, mudi
Kannada meaning : advanced age, oldness, old age, priority
Kannada derivates : mudaka, muduku old man; fem. mudaki, mudiki, muduki; (K2) mutta, mudupa old man; mudu (mutt-), mode to advance in growth, increase, become full-grown, mature, advance in years, become old; n. old age, etc.; mudukatana, muppu old age; mū-dēvi elder sister of Lakṣmī, goddess of misfortune
Kodagu : mudi
Kodagu meaning : old
Kodagu derivates : mudɨkë old man; fem. mudɨki; muttajjë great-grandfather; muttāy great-grandmother; mū- (mūp-, mūt-) to grow up (in songs); mū dēvi quarrelsome, extravagant, cruel woman
Tulu : mudi, mudu
Tulu meaning : old, aged, ancient
Tulu derivates : mudiyuni to be worn out; mudiye old man; old, aged; muduke old man; mutt-ajje great-grandfather; mutt-ajji great-grandmother; muppu old, aged; old age; misfortune, ruin, destruction; moppè old man; (B-K) mujaḍé old man; mujuḍu an old person
Notes : A complicated case. Tamil points at the following variants: 1) *mud-; 2) *mū-; 3) *mūt- (a few forms also hint at **mūd-, but these are in a minority and may be deemed secondary). The first and third variants are obviously related, but if so, only *mūt- can be regarded as original, with *mud- developed out of it due to prosodic reasons. As for *mū- (which should be reconstructed as a variant for the PSDR stage), it is yet unclear how it could have developed out of *mūt- (the standard verbal derivative would be *mutu (-pp-, -tt-) for Tamil).
Number in DED : 4954
