தமிழ்
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Tamil
[edit]
Etymology
[edit]According to Bhadriraju Krishnamurthi (2003), earlier recorded as Pali damiḷa. Further etymology unknown. Various hypotheses have been adduced. The main ones consider this word a compound of some sort:
- K. V. Zvelebil (1990) proposes that தமிழ் (tamiḻ) is derived from the verb தகு (taku, “to fit properly”) with the evolution tak- > tav- > tam-.[1]
- Koskinen (1996) speculates a relationship with the name of the lotus flower தாமரை (tāmarai),[2] attested also with the variant தம்மி (tammi), and having cognates in Malayalam താമര (tāmara), Kannada ತಾಮರೆ (tāmare), Tulu ತಾಮರೆ (tāmare) and Telugu తామర (tāmara).
- Southworth (1998) suggests a derivation like *tam-miẓ > tam-iḻ “one's own speech”, considering the final part as a reduced form of மொழி (moḻi, “word, speech”).[3]
However, there are problems with each of these attempts. The sounds -k- and -v- are nowhere attested as variants; moreover, the underlying form of மொழி (moḻi) is Proto-Dravidian *moẓ-, not *miẓ-.[4] The etymology of the word therefore remains unknown.
Pronunciation
[edit]Adjective
[edit]தமிழ் • (tamiḻ)
- of or pertaining to the Tamil language or its ethno-linguistic group
- sweet, pleasant, melodious
- refined, pure
Proper noun
[edit]தமிழ் • (tamiḻ)
Declension
[edit]| Declension of தமிழ் (tamiḻ) (singular only) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |
| Nominative | தமிழ் tamiḻ |
- |
| Vocative | தமிழே tamiḻē |
- |
| Accusative | தமிழை tamiḻai |
- |
| Dative | தமிழுக்கு tamiḻukku |
- |
| Genitive | தமிழுடைய tamiḻuṭaiya |
- |
| Singular | Plural | |
| Nominative | தமிழ் tamiḻ |
- |
| Vocative | தமிழே tamiḻē |
- |
| Accusative | தமிழை tamiḻai |
- |
| Dative | தமிழுக்கு tamiḻukku |
- |
| Benefactive | தமிழுக்காக tamiḻukkāka |
- |
| Genitive 1 | தமிழுடைய tamiḻuṭaiya |
- |
| Genitive 2 | தமிழின் tamiḻiṉ |
- |
| Locative 1 | தமிழில் tamiḻil |
- |
| Locative 2 | தமிழிடம் tamiḻiṭam |
- |
| Sociative 1 | தமிழோடு tamiḻōṭu |
- |
| Sociative 2 | தமிழுடன் tamiḻuṭaṉ |
- |
| Instrumental | தமிழால் tamiḻāl |
- |
| Ablative | தமிழிலிருந்து tamiḻiliruntu |
- |
Derived terms
[edit]- கொடுந்தமிழ் (koṭuntamiḻ)
- செந்தமிழ் (centamiḻ)
- தமிழகம் (tamiḻakam)
- தமிழச்சி (tamiḻacci)
- தமிழன் (tamiḻaṉ)
- தமிழிலக்கணம் (tamiḻilakkaṇam)
- தமிழ் ஈழம் (tamiḻ īḻam)
- தமிழ் நாடு (tamiḻ nāṭu)
- தமிழ்செல்வன் (tamiḻcelvaṉ)
- தமிழ்செல்வி (tamiḻcelvi)
- தமிழ்நாடு (tamiḻnāṭu)
Descendants
[edit]- → English: Tamil
- → Old Kannada: ತಮಿೞ (tamiḻa)
- Kannada: ತಮಿಳು (tamiḷu)
- → Malayalam: തമിഴ് (tamiḻŭ)
- → Marathi: तमिळ (tamiḷ)
- → Tulu: ತಮುಳು (tamuḷu)
- →? Sanskrit: द्रमिल (dramila), द्रविड (draviḍa), द्राविड (drāviḍa)
- → French: Tamoul
References
[edit]- ^ Zvelebil, K. V. (1990) Dravidian Linguistics: an Introduction, Pondicherry: Pondicherry Institute of Linguistics and Culture, page xxi.
- ^ Koskinen, K. (1996) “Taamarai 'lotus' and the name Tamiẓ”, in International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics, volume 25, number 2, pages 141-142.
- ^ Southworth, F. C. (1998) “On the origin of the word tamiẓ”, in International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics, volume 27, number 1, pages 129-132.
- ^ Krishnamurti, Bhadriraju (2003) The Dravidian Languages (Cambridge Language Surveys), Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 20-21.
Further reading
[edit]- University of Madras (1924–1936) “தமிழ்”, in Tamil Lexicon, Madras [Chennai]: Diocesan Press
- Johann Philipp Fabricius, Na. Kadirvelu Pillai, David W. McAlpin, Rajagopal Subramanian, University of Madras, Miron Winslow (2022) “தமிழ்”, in Digital Dictionaries of South Asia [Combined Tamil Dictionaries]