English
kovil
Kovil comes from Tamil கோயில் ‘King's residence, temple’, and goes back to Proto-Dravidian *kō-y-il.
- Proto-Dravidianprehistoric (reconstructed)*kō-y-il‘king, chief’reconstructed
- Tamilmodernகோயில்kōvilas கோவில்‘King's residence, temple’
- Englishearliest quotation 2004kovil
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Dravidianprehistoric (reconstructed)*kō-y-il‘king, chief’reconstructed
- Tamilmodernகோயில்kōvilas கோவில்‘King's residence, temple’
- Englishearliest quotation 2004kovil
Earliest quotation: 2004, H. M. Mervyn Herath, Colonial Kollupitiya and Its Environs: “Though Sri Lanka is predominantly a Buddhist country there…”
Every English word from Proto-Dravidian *kō-y-il
Today it means
noun A Hindu temple built in a distinct style of Dravidian architecture.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Dravidian *kō-y-il / kovil