The Quilon Syrian copper plates (849/850 CE) are considered as the oldest available inscription written in Old Malayalam. Besides Old Malayalam, the copper plate also contains signatures in Arabic (Kufic script), Middle Persian (cursive Pahlavi script) and Judeo-Persian (standard square Hebrew) scripts.

Veerakkal Tamil-Brahmi inscription (ca. 2nd cent. BCE) from Pulimaankombai, raised in memory of tīyaṉ antavaṉ, who died in a cattle raid in a village called kūṭal ūr. The words 'peṭu' and 'tīyaṉ' are regarded by Iravatham Mahadevan as pre-Malayalam terms, with "tīyaṉ" (thiyyar) being the name for a caste from Kerala. The inscription contributed to Malayalam being granted classical language status by the Government of India, a status which is granted to languages deemed older than 2,000 years by the "Linguistic Expert Committee."

Copy of Ezhuthachan's stylus and Adhyatma Ramayanam preserved at Thunchan Parambu, Tirur

A Malayalam signboard from Kannur, Kerala. Malayalam is official language in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puduchery