Tamil Language
Tamil is one of the major Dravidian languages with a rich history spanning thousands of years. It is primarily spoken in southern India, particularly in the state of Tamil Nadu, and in northeastern Sri Lanka, with a significant speaker population exceeding 60 million. Tamil is also recognized as one of the official languages in several countries including Singapore and Malaysia. The language has a historical trajectory that includes Old Tamil, Middle Tamil, and Modern Tamil, with its earliest known inscriptions dating back to the third century BCE.
The Tamil script, which evolved from the Brahmi script, has undergone various transformations over the centuries, leading to a modern form that features rounded letters. Tamil is distinguished by its complex grammar, including eight grammatical cases, two genders, and various dialects influenced by regional variations. Despite being an ancient language, Tamil continues to adapt to contemporary needs, with new vocabulary developed for modern concepts in science and technology. Approximately 69 million people speak Tamil as their first language today, along with millions more who use it as a second language, reflecting its ongoing cultural significance and global presence.
Tamil Language
The Tamil language is one of the four major Dravidian languages. It has origins dating back thousands of years and has evolved over time. Tamil is among the twenty-two official languages of India, a nation with more than 60 million Tamil-speaking people. The language is primarily spoken in southern India—especially in the state of Tamil Nadu—and in northeastern Sri Lanka, but it is also spoken in other parts of the world, including Singapore, Malaysia, and Mauritius. Tamil has adapted to modern times, with many new words and equivalents added to accommodate advances in science and technology.
History and Classification
Old Tamil is the name given to the Tamil language from the third century BCE to the eighth century CE. Middle Tamil refers to the language from the eighth to the seventeenth centuries CE. Modern Tamil is the name for the language from seventeenth century to the present.
Some sources claim that Tamil inscriptions date back as far as 2200 BCE; however, the first known use of Tamil dates from the third century BCE when the language was first inscribed on stone. Records from this era describe Tamil literature as being inscribed on palm leaves.
The Tamil script is a descendent of the Brahmi script, which is an ancient Indian script. The script underwent several changes over the centuries, eventually taking on a more rounded form. By the fifth century CE, it became what is called the vaṭṭeḻuttu script. In the seventh century, the modern Tamil script developed. The script continued evolving into the nineteenth and twentieth centuries when it became simplified.
Tamil is part of the Dravidian language family, which comprises seventy-three languages. With more than 220 million speakers throughout the world—primarily in Asia—Dravidian is one of the world’s largest language families. Tamil is one of the four major Dravidian languages, along with Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.
Tamil has various dialects, including Adi Dravida, Aiyangar, Aiyar, Arava, Burgandi, Burma Tamil, Harijan, Hebbar, Kasuva, Kongar, Kongu, Korava, Korchi, Kumari, Madrasi, Madurai, Malaya Tamil, Parikala, Pattapu Bhasha, Sankethi, South Africa Tamil, Sri Lanka Tamil, Tigalu, and Tirunelveli. Madras Bashai incorporates English into Tamil, but is not considered a dialect.
Like English, Tamil is written in horizontal lines from left to right. The Tamil alphabet contains a basic set of eighteen consonants and twelve vowels. The letters are rounded, and for this reason, the alphabet is often called the "round alphabet."
Tamil words have various inflections. These include eight cases, which are nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, locative, instrumental, ablative, and vocative. There are two genders (rational and irrational) and two numbers (singular and plural). Prefixes such as a, e, i, and u are also used. Additionally, Tamil words frequently contain letters that have a diacritic, which is a mark above or below the letter that signifies a difference in pronunciation. For example, the Tamil word ān, which means "man," contains a diacritic above the a. Some common Tamil words and phrases include ām (yes), illai (no), naṉṟi (thank you), poiṭṭu varēṉ (goodbye), thayavu ceythu (please),and vaṇakkam (hello). Furthermore, a number of English words have come from Tamil. These include candy (believed to be derived from the Tamil word kantu), curry (from the Tamil word kari, meaning "sauce/relish for rice"), and mango (from the Tamil word mankay, in which man means "mango tree" and kay means "fruit").
Tamil writing follows a standard word order of subject-object-verb, with the verb always terminating the sentence. However, a Tamil sentence does not necessary have to contain a subject, object, and verb.
Geographic Distribution and Modern Usage
In the twenty-first century, about sixty-nine million people speak Tamil as a first language, and roughly eight million more people speak it as a second language. Most people who speak Tamil reside in India and Sri Lanka. Tamil is widely spoken in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India and in northeastern Sri Lanka. Tamil is the official language of Tamil Nadu and the national language of Sri Lanka. Besides Tamil Nadu, Tamil also is prevalent in the Union Territory of Puducherry in southern India. Tamil-speaking people also can be found in several other countries, including Malaysia, Mauritius, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, as well as the city-state of Singapore, where Tamil is one of the official languages.
Although Tamil is an ancient language, steps have been taken to help the language keep up with modern times. New words have been added to the language, including technical terms related to science, information technology, and commerce. For example, the Tamil Development Department, which is located in India, coins new words and standardizes Tamil equivalents to other words. A team consisting of eleven Tamil scholars, retired professors, journalists, and poets meets regularly to discuss and approve new words and equivalents. Coined words are then added to an administrative glossary, and some of them are sent to newspapers, magazines, and television and radio stations for use and feedback. Examples of newly coined words include kanini thedakam (browser), padiga neerma tholaikkatchi (liquid crystal display), thaaniyangi panapori (automated teller machine), than adaiyaala yen (personal identification number), thiranpesi (smartphone), ul pezhai (inbox), and uyirppoli (clone).
Bibliography
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"Tamil." Omniglot. Simon Ager, 2013. Web. 5 Oct. 2015. <http://www.omniglot.com/writing/tamil.htm>.
"The Tamil Language." Kwintessential. Kwintessential, 2014. Web. 5 Oct. 2015. <http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/language/about/tamil.html>.
Thompson, Irene. "Dravidian Language Family." About World Languages. Technology Development Group, 27 Nov. 2013. Web. 5 Oct. 2015. <http://aboutworldlanguages.com/Dravidian-Language-Family>.
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