தமிழ்

Tamil

Etymology

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:

1. K. V. Zvelebil (1990) proposes that தமிழ் (tamiḻ) is derived from the verb தகு (taku, “to fit properly”) with the evolution tak- > tav- > tam-.
2. Koskinen (1996) speculates a relationship with the name of the lotus flower தாமரை (tāmarai), attested also with the variant தம்மி (tammi), and having cognates in Malayalam താമര (tāmara), Kannada ತಾಮರೆ (tāmare), Tulu ತಾಮರೆ (tāmare) and Telugu తామర (tāmara​).
3. 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”).

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-. The etymology of the word therefore remains unknown.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t̪ɐmiɻ/

• Audio

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• Audio (India)

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Adjective

தமிழ் • (tamiḻ)

1. of or pertaining to the Tamil language or it's ethno-linguistic group
2. sweet, pleasant, melodious
3. refined, pure

Proper noun

தமிழ் • (tamiḻ)

1. the Tamil language

   Synonyms: தென்மொழி (teṉmoḻi), திரமிளம் (tiramiḷam), திரமிடம் (tiramiṭam)

Declension

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

• 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

• → 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

Further reading

• 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 India [Combined Tamil Dictionaries]