Friday, May 16, 2008

Not another plain vanilla theory.



Picked this from Wikipedia: Vanilla is a flavouring derived from orchids in the genus Vanilla native to Mexico. The name came from the Spanish word "vainilla," meaning "little pod."

Now study the picture featured above. It's a vanilla flower with the pod. The colour of the pod has no connection to the colour that comes to mind when you think of Vanilla. Whereas the colour of the flower does. Ancient people were not botanists to name flowers after pods. They were simpler by nature. And my gut says, they would have named the flower after its colour.

And here is where I shall unleash my theory. There is a school of thought that believes that the Mayans in Mexico were Tamil adventurers from Sri Lanka. Read this article by Gene D. Matlock and you will be convinced so.

If Mayans were tamilians and ancient people named flowers after colours, there is a high chance the Mayans would have used a tamil word to describe the colour of the flower. The colour in question here is moonwhite. The tamil word for moonwhite is Venn Nilla!

So ladies and gentlemen, I am postulating that the word Vanilla was derived from the tamil word Venn Nila.

5 comments:

R.Rajesh said...

Nice Postulation.
Btw, would a cow fed on vanilla pods, produce flavored milk? The mind boggles when u can think of feeding em coffee beans, cocoa leaves, etc...to get the world's first organic gobargas powered, mobile milkshake vending machine.
Mooo:D

R.Rajesh said...

I know this isnt relevant to this blog but would the study of chess be called 'Pawnography'?

R.Rajesh said...

we all know about 'plain' vanilla...is there also a variety of 'hill' vanilla? sigh...sorry for the digression:-(

Subramaniam Avinash said...

this blog is so aptly named. vetties of the world unite! you have little to lose but thy time. i like.

Subramaniam Avinash said...

How and where can i post my vetty theories. btw, there's one other guy you might want to invite for this pastime. his name is anurag. i'll email you his mailing address. he's quite a mined.