தமிழ்

Tamil

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தமிழ்

Etymology

Inherited from Old Tamil 𑀢𑀫𑀺𑀵𑁰 (tamiḻ).

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

IPA^(key): /t̪ɐmɪɻ/
Audio: (file)
Audio (India): (file)

Adjective

தமிழ் • (tamiḻ)

of or pertaining to the Tamil language or its ethno-linguistic group
(literary, poetic) sweet, pleasant, melodious
(literary, poetic) refined, pure

Proper noun

தமிழ் • (tamiḻ)

the Tamil language
Synonyms: தென்மொழி (teṉmoḻi), திரமிளம் (tiramiḷam), திரமிடம் (tiramiṭam)
- c. 400 BCE - 500 CE, பனம்பாரனார் (paṉampāraṉār), “பனம்பாரனார் பாயிரம் [Prologue by Panamparanar]”, in Tolkāppiyar, translated by Sengai Podhuvan, Tolkāppiyam‎^[1]:
  வட வேங்கடம் தென்குமரி
  ஆயிடைத்
  தமிழ்கூறு நல்லுலகத்து
  vaṭavēṅkaṭam teṉkumari
  āyiṭait
  tamiḻkūṟu nallulakattu
  The good Tamil-speaking land extends between Venkata (modern Tirupati) on the north and ocean Kumari on the south.
(grammar) the Tamil language, being divided into இயல் (iyal), இசை (icai), நாடகம் (nāṭakam).
Synonym: முத்தமிழ் (muttamiḻ)
Tamils, Tamilians
Synonym: தமிழர் (tamiḻar)

நீ தமிழா? ― nī tamiḻā? ― Are you a Tamil?
Tamil literature, Tamil work
a unisex given name from Tamil, popular among Tamils
(archaic) The Tamil country, Tamilakam
Synonyms: தமிழ்நாடு (tamiḻnāṭu), தமிழகம் (tamiḻakam)

Declension

Declension of தமிழ் (tamiḻ) (singular only)
	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

Descendants

→ English: Tamil
→ French: Tamoul, tamoul
→ Gujarati: તામિળ (tāmiḷ), તામિલ (tāmil)
→ Hindi: तमिल (tamil), तामिल (tāmil)
→ Konkani: तामीळ (tāmīḷ), तमीळ (tamīḷ)
→ Malayalam: തമിഴ് (tamiḻŭ)
→ Marathi: तमिळ (tamiḷ), तामिळ (tāmiḷ)
→ Odia: ତାମିଳ (tāmiḷa), ତାମିଲ (tāmila)
→ Old Kannada: ತಮಿೞ (tamiḻa)
- Kannada: ತಮಿಳು (tamiḷu)
- → Tulu: ತಮುಳು (tamuḷu)
→ Portuguese: tâmil, tâmul, tamul
→ Sinhalese: දෙමළ (demaḷa)
→ Telugu: తమిళము (tamiḷamu), తమిళం (tamiḷaṁ)

References

University of Madras (1924–1936), “தமிழ்”, in Tamil Lexicon, Madras [Chennai]: Diocesan Press

^ 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.

[1] Zvelebil, K. V. (1990), Dravidian Linguistics: an Introduction, Pondicherry: Pondicherry Institute of Linguistics and Culture, page xxi.

[2] Koskinen, K. (1996), “Taamarai 'lotus' and the name Tamiẓ”, in International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics, volume 25, number 2, pages 141-142.

[3] Southworth, F. C. (1998), “On the origin of the word tamiẓ”, in International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics, volume 27, number 1, pages 129-132.

[4] Krishnamurti, Bhadriraju (2003), The Dravidian Languages (Cambridge Language Surveys), Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 20-21.

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