History of the Pallavas of Kanchi c7.s1.48

c7.s1.48

*Still another View.*—According to Alexander Rea the references making the Pallavas ‘hold the sprout’ are pedantic Pandit’s puns, or a play upon the double meaning of the word ‘Pallava’. ‘I would suggest,’ he says, ‘that it might be derived by somewhat free translation from the two Tamil words *Pal* and *Avil* (to pull)? referring to their being agriculturists or milk-drawers like the Gopalas of the northern Dekkan.’² He also throws out another suggestion: ‘the masculine singular termination in Tamil is *avan*, and the plural *avar*; now prefixing the word *Pal* (milk), would give Pālavan; or Pālavar as the honorific plural. Pālavan in that case would mean milkman.’ Both these suggestions, however appear more fanciful than possible as the derivations have not even grammatical justification in their favour.