Another popularly used Dravidian Kannada word which is pronounced both as hale and ale (the latter in every day speech especially in Mysur Kannada dialect) precisely denotes: old, which meaning is also denoted by this IE root al I. But DED gives another form pala = old (3999-Ka; the form hale = old, oldness is given by KTK-1646) which is correct considering not only because pala has been used in Kannada literature (only in old literature; today only hale is used in Kannada literature and ale in colloquial), but because of the phonetic phenomenon of initial p disappearing in DR. as the words pala and ale demonstrate. As noted in the previous chapter, this Dravidian phenomenon has left its imprint on Indo-European: in Celtic p disappears (Pei-21). Note that this phenomenon in Dravidian can also be witnessed in the same group 3999 where the Tulu word alasu = old (3999-Tu) is listed. The initial p of the word pala = old has disappeared in the word alasu = old. Further note that the Kannada words pala and hale (both denoting: old) demonstrate the phonetic phenomenon between p and h which, as we saw with illustrations in the last chapter, occurs in Dravidian and which also has left its birthmark on Indo-European where p becomes h in Armenian (Pei-21). Note also that in Tamil the word ul denotes: to grow old, that which is of long date; and uli = very long time (2736-Ta; note here that the sense of being tall ascribed to this root al I is denoted by a parallel meaning long, long date, long time).

This goes to show that even as the scholars of antiquity such as Cicero (M. Tullius Cicero, orator and philosopher – 106–43 BC), Caesar (C. Iulius Caesar, historian – 100-44 BC), Virgil (P. Virgilius Maro, poet – 70-19 BC), Livy (T. Livius, historian – 59 BC-17 AD), and others were endeavouring to interpret ancient Latin words, considerable span of time had elapsed since the Dravidians, the people of the common source of Indo-European had arrived in European territories and the phonetic and/or semantic confounding of their words which came to be written down only later had already taken place or was in the process. But in the mother language, Dravidian, such words and their meanings are not so remarkably confounded, which in itself not only illustrates the great endurance and integrity of the Dravidian words, but the considerable ease with which her genetic relationship with her offspring, Indo-European, is proved copiously. These points should be kept in mind when DR. words occurring in different groups in DED are cited as the seed-words of their corresponding Indo-European root-words. It may be pointed out here that there are very many instances of such confounding even in relatively later Indo-European. For instance, as JS-45-46 points out, Oxford English Dictionary explains that the word burdon which was derived from the Indo-European root-word ?burd = imitative of the drone of a bee and which later on came to denote a chorus, was "completely merged" with the word burden.

It should also be pointed out here that the very facts that Dravidian helps to enlighten Indo-European, as we witnessed above and as we shall witness further in this chapter, and that Indo-European helps to enlighten Dravidian, as we witnessed in the case of important Dravidian phonetic correspondences which Indo-European pointed out in Dravidian, constitute further proof for the genetic relationship which exists between them. Both the mother speech, Dravidian, and her offspring, Indo-European testify for each other in no uncertain terms.