Kerala's offices run on a different Malayalam from its kitchens, and the gap is wider than English speakers expect. This class explains diglossia, a high and a low variety living side by side, and what it means for you in practice: you need to understand formal Malayalam and handle a counter politely, not compose it. You learn താങ്കൾ, സാർ and മാഡം, the one formal word for please (ദയവായി), the vocabulary of forms, documents and receipts, a full counter exchange from greeting to thanks, and how to recognise the shape of a formal letter. A closing section looks at how languages grow new official words from their own prestige layer. Words and phrases in this class: താങ്കൾ (thaankal) – you (highly respectful) സാർ (saar) – sir ദയവായി (dayavaayi) – please (formal, on notices) അപേക്ഷ (apeksha) – an application രസീത് (raseethu) – receipt ഒപ്പ് (oppu) – signature സാർ, ഒന്ന് സഹായിക്കാമോ? (saar, onnu sahaayikkaamo?) – sir, could you help me for a moment? എന്ത് രേഖകൾ വേണം? (enthu rekhakal venam?) – what documents are needed? ഫീസ് എത്രയാണ്? (fees ethrayaanu?) – how much is the fee? ഇവിടെ ഒപ്പിടണോ? (ivide oppidano?) – should I sign here? എപ്പോൾ കിട്ടും? (eppol kittum?) – when will I get it? നാളെ വരൂ (naale varoo) – come tomorrow വിശ്വസ്തതയോടെ (viswasthathayode) – faithfully (letter closing) In this class: • Diglossia, from Arabic and Swiss German to Malayalam • Address forms at the counter, and ദയവായി on every sign • Forms, documents and the questions that get things done • Recognising a formal letter, and the full counter exchange Quizzes below. Dr. Reshmi R Nair — SpeakMalayalam.