പൂച്ച (Malayalam)

Where does "പൂച്ച" come from?

The Malayalam word 'പൂച്ച' (pūcca) is a clear linguistic sibling to various other Dravidian terms for 'cat,' including the Tamil 'பூனை' (pūṉai), Kodava 'ಪೂಞೆ' (pūñe), and Tulu 'ಪುಚ್ಚೆ' (pucce). Despite the similar sound and meaning, it is historically unrelated to the Tagalog word 'pusa,' serving as a classic example of a false cognate. Its origins reflect a shared ancestry deeply rooted in the linguistic history of South India.

Cognates and doublets

Updated June 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris