khīraṃ (“milk”) + nāḷī (“tube”). This is an unusual kind of tatpurusha, an 'alutta tappurisa', in which the first element retains its case ending, which is accusative in this case. The compound may also be supported by the word nāḷikera (“coconut palm”), though there is no formal connection.
khīraṃnāḷī f
| Case \ Number | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (first) | khīraṃnāḷī or khīraṃnāḷi | khīraṃnāḷiyo or khīraṃnāḷī |
| Accusative (second) | khīraṃnāḷiṃ or khīraṃnāḷiyaṃ | khīraṃnāḷiyo or khīraṃnāḷī |
| Instrumental (third) | khīraṃnāḷiyā | khīraṃnāḷīhi or khīraṃnāḷībhi |
| Dative (fourth) | khīraṃnāḷiyā | khīraṃnāḷīnaṃ |
| Ablative (fifth) | khīraṃnāḷiyā | khīraṃnāḷīhi or khīraṃnāḷībhi |
| Genitive (sixth) | khīraṃnāḷiyā | khīraṃnāḷīnaṃ |
| Locative (seventh) | khīraṃnāḷiyā or khīraṃnāḷiyaṃ | khīraṃnāḷīsu |
| Vocative (calling) | khīraṃnāḷi | khīraṃnāḷiyo or khīraṃnāḷī |