Keralam Replaces Kerala: Shashi Tharoor on Keralite, Keralan Terms The decision to change the official name of Kerala to Keralam has left many wondering about the fate of terms like "Keralite" and "Keralan". In an interview, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who had moved a private member's bill in Parliament seeking to rename the state, shed light on this issue. "I think 'Keralate' is perfectly fine," Mr. Tharoor said when asked about the future of terms like 'Keralite'. "It is already being used as an adjective to describe people from Kerala. So, if Keralam becomes the official name, it would be a natural evolution for 'Keralate' to become the corresponding term." On the other hand, he felt that the term 'Keralan' might not be as easily adaptable. "I think 'Keralite' is more intuitive and easy to use than 'Keralan'," Mr. Tharoor said. "The suffix '-ite' is commonly used to describe people from a place, whereas '-an' is often used for things like languages or dialects. So, if we are going to use the name Keralam, it would be more consistent to use 'Keralate' to describe people." Mr. Tharoor also noted that the usage of terms like 'Keralite' and 'Keralan' is not uniform across all regions. "In some parts of Kerala, people use 'Keralan' to describe themselves, while in other places, it's 'Keralite'. So, we might need to have a conversation about which term is more widely used and accepted," he said. The MP also emphasized the importance of having a uniform terminology for the new name Keralam. "We should aim to have a consistent usage of terms like 'Keralate' or 'Keralite' so that there's no confusion," he added. With the official renaming process underway, many are keenly awaiting clarity on how these terms will be used in future.#Shashi_Tharoor #Kerala #Keralam #Keralite #Keralan
