Malabar

Synonyms of Malabar

• Malabar Coast

Forms of Malabar

Origin of Malabar

Borrowed from Arabic مَلَبَار (malabār), first attested in the writings of Iranian scholar Al-Biruni (c. 11th century). The second element is either from Arabic بَرّ (barr, “land, ground”) or from Classical Persian بَار (bār, “coast”), and the first element is the same as the Byzantine Greek toponym Μαλέ (Malé) (itself in turn derived from Malayalam മല (mala)), mentioned by traveller Cosmas Indicopleustes in the 5th century as a source of pepper exports, concording with modern-day pepper cultivation on the Malabar coast. Mala ~ Male is, in turn, borrowed from Malayalam മല (mala, “mountain”). This is also the source of the name of the language: മലയാളം (malayāḷaṁ, literally “mountain place”). Compare Zanzibar for a possibly similar word formation.

Words formed from Malabar

• Malabar almond
• Malabar barbet
• Malabar chestnut
• Malabar Coast
• Malabar creeper
• Malabar flying frog
• Malabar gourd
• Malabar grey hornbill
• Malabari
• Malabar itch
• Malabar lark
• Malabar marking-nut tree
• Malabar nightshade
• Malabar nut
• Malabar pied hornbill
• Malabar rat
• Malabar spinach
• Malabar starling
• Malabar trogon
• Malabar whistling thrush
• Malabar woodshrike

Phrases with Malabar

• Malabar oil
• Malabar Hill
• Malabar nuts
• Malabar oils
• Malabar rats
• Malabar rites
• Malabar gourds
• Malabar chestnuts
• Malabar spinaches
• Malabar nightshades
• Malabar flying frogs
• Malabar giant squirrel

Questions about Malabar

What does Malabar mean?

Malabar means the region of coastal southwestern India, principally the modern state of Kerala.

What part of speech is Malabar?

Malabar can be a proper noun or a noun.

How do you pronounce Malabar?

Malabar is pronounced /ˈmæləˌbɑː/ (UK).