pollam

P3O1L1L1A1M3

noun

A district in India held in feudal tenure by a poligar.

OriginTamil பாளையம் ← Sanskrit प्लयति →
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Meanings

nounpollam (plural pollams)

plural pollams

  1. A district in India held in feudal tenure by a poligar.

    Of the tracts situated in the Southern Carnatic, consisting of Tinnevelly and the Manapar pollams, and the two Marawars of Ramnad and Shevagunga, and the western pollams, the Madras presidency had collected the tribute since 1792.

    1828, The East Indian gazetteer, volume 1, page 363

Origin

  1. Sanskritपिपर्ति“he brings over, rescues”
  2. Sanskritप्लयति“he guards”
  3. Tamilபாளையம்
  4. Englishpollam

Borrowed from Tamil பாளையம் (pāḷaiyam), from Sanskrit प्लयति (playati, “he guards”), probably akin to Sanskrit पिपर्ति (piparti, “he brings over, rescues”).

More words from Tamil, Sanskrit

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

pollam. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pollam

MLA

“pollam.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pollam. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pollam,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pollam.

Source: pollam on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.