Borrowing and lending money

Borrowing and lending money are common among some sections of Tamils, usually among the middle class. There are pawn brokers and professional money lenders, who lend money for interest. Even though the credit card companies have started to emerge in recent times as a result of 'globalization', the most common way of borrowing money is made either with these money lenders or from friends, colleagues and neighbors.

There are also instances where some people borrow money and fail to pay back, and in such instances it is the concern of the lender to get the money back from such persons. This practice of borrowing money is very common especially among the monthly salaried people, who run short of money during the last week of the month. Asking for and lending money is not considered a bad habit, and is generally assumed to be one of the routine activities for some people.

Words and Phrases:

கைமாற்று (sp. கைமாத்து) 'borrowing' (lit. exchange of hands) (எனக்கு கைமாத்தா ஒரு ஐம்பது ரூபாய் தரமுடியுமா? ஒரே வாரத்துலெ திருப்பிக் கொடுத்துடுவேன்! 'Can you lend me some fifty rupees? I will return it in a week.'

கடன் வாங்கு/கொடு 'borrow, lend, loan' (மாசக் கடைசி!. கடன் வாங்கினால்தான் கதை நடக்கும். 'It is end of the month. The rest of the days can only be spent with a loan from somebody')

கடன் படு 'owe': This phrase is used both in its literal sense as well as in a metaphorical sense. (நான் உங்களுக்கு நிறைய கடன் பட்டிருக்கிறேன் 'I owe you a lot (of money or of help)'

வட்டி போட்டு பணத்தைத் டிருப்பிக் கொடு 'pay money back with intrest' (நூறு ருப்பாய் கைமாத்து கொடுங்க. இன்னும் ஒரு மாசத்துலெ வட்டி போட்டுக் கொடுதுடறேன் 'Lend me some hundred rupees. I will pay you back in a month with intrest'.)