தமிழ்

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Tamil

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Tamil Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia ta

Etymology

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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-.[1]
  2. 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​).
  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).[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

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

Adjective

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தமிழ் (tamiḻ)

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

Proper noun

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தமிழ் (tamiḻ)

  1. the Tamil language
    Synonyms: தென்மொழி (teṉmoḻi), திரமிளம் (tiramiḷam), திரமிடம் (tiramiṭam)

Declension

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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

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Descendants

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References

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  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.

Further reading

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