This is a list of English words that are borrowed directly or ultimately from Dravidian languages. Dravidian languages include Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and a number of other languages spoken mainly in South Asia. The list is by no means exhaustive.
Some of the words can be traced to specific languages, but others have disputed or uncertain origins. Words of disputed or less certain origin are in the "Dravidian languages" list. Where lexicographers generally agree on a source language, the words are listed by language.
Betel, a leaf of a vine belonging to the Piperaceae family; from Portuguese betel, which probably comes from Tamil or Malayalam.
Candy, crystallized sugar or confection made from sugar; via Persian qand, which is probably from a Dravidian language, ultimately stemming from the Sanskrit root word 'Khanda'.
Coir, cord/rope, fibre from husk of coconut; from Malayalam kayar (കയർ) or Tamil kayiru (கயிறு). The origin of this word cannot be conclusively attributed to Malayalam or Tamil.
Congee, porridge, water with rice; uncertain origin, possibly from Tamil kanji (கஞ்சி), Telugu or Kannada gañji, or Malayalam kaṇni
Coolie, a labourer or slave, a South Asian person; possibly from Tamil cooli (கூலி) "labour", or possibly from Koḷī "Gujarati people" in Gujarati, which is not a Dravidian language
Cot, a bedstead or a portable bed; via Hindi from Sanskrit, which in turn may have come from a Dravidian source such as Tamil kattil
Cowry, the shells of certain sea snails, or the snails themselves; via Hindi and Urdu from Sanskrit kaparda (कपर्द), which may be related to Tamil kotu (கோது) "shell"
Curry, a variety of dishes flavored with a spicy sauce; cognates exist in several Dravidian languages.
Ginger, a fragrant spice; exact route from Dravidian is uncertain, but possibly from Tamil inchi (இஞ்சி) or Malayalam inchi (ഇഞ്ചി)
Godown, synonym to warehouse; English from Malay, which in turn may have borrowed it from Telugu giḍangi or Tamil kiṭanku
Hot toddy, beverage made of alcoholic liquor with hot water, sugar, and spices; from Hindi tari "palm sap", probably from a Dravidian language
Jaggery, coarse brown sugar made from palm and sugarcane; from Malayalam sharkara (ശർക്കര) or Kannada sharkare, having its origins in Sanskrit, ultimately originating from Tamil sakkarai (சக்கரை) - meaning sugar in modern use.
Mango, A tropical fruit;origin probably from Malayalam or Tamil
Mongoose, a small carnivorous mammal from southern Eurasia or Africa, known for killing snakes; probably ultimately from a Dravidian language, with spelling influenced by the English word goose
Mung, a type of bean; ultimately from Sanskrit mudga (मुद्ग), which is the name of the bean and the plant, perhaps via Tamil mūngu (முங்கு) "soak", or perhaps from mũg (मूँग), the name of the bean in Hindi, which is not a Dravidian language
Orange, a citrus fruit, or a color named for the fruit; cognates exist in several Dravidian languages
Pagoda, a religious building; etymology uncertain but perhaps influenced by Tamil pagavadi (பகாவடி) "house belonging to a deity"
Pariah, a social outcast; from Tamil paṟaiyar (பறையர்) or Malayalam paṟayan, "drummer"
Peacock, a type of bird; from Old English pawa, the earlier etymology is uncertain, but one possible source is Tamil tokei (தோகை) "peacock feather", via Latin or Greek
Sambal, a spicy condiment; from Malay, which may have borrowed the word from a Dravidian language such as Tamil or Telugu
Teak, a tropical hardwood tree; called tekku (தேக்கு) in Tamil, tekka in Malayalam, Telugu teku, and Kannada tegu
Gregory James, a professor with the language center of Hong Kong university believes that more than 100 words in the Oxford English Dictionary have Tamil origin, and there could be even more. The third edition of the OED, published online since 2000, contains approximately 400,000 words.