Known as Arabi Malayalam, or Mappila Malayalam, the Mappila dialect is a unique variant of the Malayalam language spoken by the Mappila Muslims of Kerala.This dialect is distinguished by a blend of different dialects, reflecting the region’s cultural and linguistic diversity, as well as its long history of interaction with Arabic speaking traders and missionaries.
Arabi Malayalam is believed to have developed either in the 7th century CE or at the beginning of the 10th century CE.Roland E.Miller, author of the book Mappila Muslims of Kerala, suggests that Arabi Malayalam is only about 500 years old.
The Malabar dialect, which was closely related to Tamil, became part of the rich cultural interaction between various groups, including the Arabs, who had a significant presence in the region.Since Malabar was a prominent trading center, especially for spices, Arab traders and scholars influenced the language.
For a long time, Malabar was part of the Tamil land, ruled by Tamil rulers.The people spoke Tamil, which became their mother tongue and folk dialect.It lacked a script.The Arabs, who had frequent contact with Malabar, introduced the Arabic script for their dialect, which later came to be called
