Thulukkachi

lit. ‘turkic female’, this is a formal tamil & malayalam term for a muslim lady.
typically denotes an indian muslim woman or a pakistani woman, but is often expanded in
scope to connote an iranian woman, arabian woman, malay woman or turkic woman. to be
distinguished from ‘thulukkan’, which denotes a muslim male.

the tamil lexicon has the entry: “துலுக்கச்சி tulukkacci, n. fem. of துலுக் கன். muhammadan
woman; துருக்கப்பெண். colloq.” ‘tamil lexicon’ madras: university of madras, 1924-1936: p 1988.

thus, a muslim female married to a tamilian is termed a ‘thulukkachi pondatti’, & when
deified is denoted a ‘thulukkaci nachiyar’.

geographical features also bear this appellation. as an example, near kutralam lies the
tulukkacci metu or “turkish woman’s ridge”.

hence, it is clear this h–ry historical term is not derogatory, as is being claimed by
certain ideologues who wish to erase this traditional dravidian word, in order to detach
tamil muslims from their proud heritage.
1) velu: my ultimate dream in life is to kiss a fair nizami thulukkachi!

2) ravana-lingam: that hot thulukkachi ghazala in that red shalwar kameez has a very
big soothu (-rs-)!

3) mumthaz khatoon: i am a thulukkachi from malappuram.

4) arif: every dravidian man wants to have one of our fair thulukkachi
sisters as his pondatti (wife)!

5) “tulukkacci ‘muslim woman’ tulukkan ‘muslim man'” – ‘the kollimalai tamil
dialect’ k. karunakaran. chidambaram: dept of linguistics,
annamalai university, 1971, p 218.