Malayalee are not Mallu - Ape is the meaning of mallu in Hindi

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I got a mail from my friend Sreelas about the real hindi meaning of so called 'Mallus'. It was really shocking to know the meaning.Eventhough, I didn't have the 'Oxford Hindi English Dictionary by R.S. McGregor', I managed to find the information in this mail is correct.


Following the mail as it is

Dear Keralites,

People from outside our state often refer to us as “Mallus”. We also often refer to ourselves as “Mallus” thinking that it is a short form for ‘Malayalee’. BUT please note that the meaning of the Hindi word “Mallu” as given in the Oxford Hindi English Dictionary is “MONKEY”.


Malayalee are not Mallu - Ape is the meaning of mallu in Hindi

Oxford Hindi English Dictionary by R.S. McGregor – Pg. 795. First Published by Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1993

So next time before referring to yourself as a ‘ Mallu’ – please think!!! And if anyone else calls you a “Mallu” – politely but firmly tell them that you are a MALAYALEE not a ‘Mallu’.

Please forward to all the Keralites and create awareness about this term so that we do not cheer people (like monkeys),when they are actually calling us “monkeys” ……………..

Sasneham

Oru Malayalee.



Update - 25th June

English Meaning of Mallu (Thank God!)
http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/MALLU

Mallu Meaning in Hindi

Comments

Satyrinae said…
'Mallu' is generally used outside Kerala to mean "Malayal'" or "Malabari". It is the two first two two sounds of the name used as in other short forms. It has no reference to the "mallu" word in Hindi. Hence a Malayali need not be ashamed for it. I have experience all over India. Malayalis are unlike other Indians and they are uniquely meritorious. This fact is acceptly, though sometimes tacitly, all over India. Malayalis are considererd outside Kerala as uniquely intelligent and standard persons. No one can mean us "monkeys". In fact most of the north Indians (especially in Delhi and neighbouring regions) are a cross breed of monkey-donkey-devil, highly foolish, cruel, inhuman and dirty-behaving.
March 28, 2012 at 3:53 PM
Unknown said…
I went to the website(questionable authority) referred to as oxford dictionary it not, its some translation website (http://en.bab.la/dictionary/) and typed mallu and the search result was "Sorry, no exact translations found" check it yourself if you like.

Here mallu is not used in an Hindi context so EVEN if it means something in Hindi it is irrelevant in English.
For example the word repu in Telugu means tomorrow but in English it means rape (both sound similar)but no one objects to it as offensive when speaking Telugu! (http://wikitravel.org/en/Telugu_phrasebook#b)

Finally, I went to a reliable website like Dictionary.com and did not find mallu but found mallus to mean a group of lawmakers in Scandinavia are called mallus
(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Mallus)

So I think it is safe to conclude that this is a figment of some mallu's imagination / inferiority complex that the hindi speaking guy is laughing at him and is in fact got no meaning other than Malayalee/Malayalam and is not offensive at all.
So kindly consider this as a hoax email.
June 1, 2012 at 3:10 AM
Anonymous said…
My question is how much time goes it take to say 'malayali or keralite'.. So why do someone want to use mallu instead?? I do have the hard copy of the above mentioned dictionary and the fact said is true!! So when someone calls a keralite mallu next time please do correct them.. Intentionally or not no humans likes to be called monkeys..
September 4, 2013 at 12:15 AM
Anonymous said…
When someone refers to you or me as a "mallu" unless he is referring in the context of that language.. i dont think this alter meaning has any significance... lot of words have different meanings in different languages...
January 23, 2014 at 12:29 PM
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