Wikijunior:Languages/Tamil
From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection
[edit] What writing system(s) does this language use?
Tamil uses a script called வட்டெழத்து (vatteluthu, or "rounded letters"). This is a script with mainly round shapes, optimized for writing on dried palm leaves, which were traditionally used as a form of paper.
Just like the Latin alphabet commonly used to write English, the Tamil script has letters representing vowels and consonants. In addition, unlike the Latin alphabet, there are letters representing combinations of letters and vowels. For example, ப corresponds to the English letter P. ஓ corresponds to the English letter O. And போ corresponds to the English letters po.
[edit] How many people speak this language?
Over 66 million people speak Tamil as their native language and an estimated 11 million speak it as a secondary language.
native language — the first language that a person learnt as a child.
secondary language — any language that a person learns to speak after the first language that they learned at home.
[edit] Where is this language spoken?
Most Tamil speakers live in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Singapore. Tamil is recognized as an official language in India, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. Within India, Tamil is spoken mainly in Tamil Nadu, a state in India. Emigrant Tamil speakers live all over the world and have taken their language with them to their new communities.
emigrant — someone who has moved from the area where they were born to another country or region.
[edit] What is the history of this language?
Some of the oldest Tamil writing can be seen in rock inscriptions from 200BC. The oldest work of Tamil literature, called தொல்காப்பியம் (tholkaappiyam, or "ancient vault"), was written sometime between 300BC and 1000AD. This work is a grammar book for Tamil.
Tamil has always been spoken by people of the Tamil culture in India since antiquity; the history of the language (and of the similar south Indian languages belonging to the Dravidian family of languages) before this is not clear. Tamil literature was developed during the classical period by literature events hosted at the historic Tamil city of Madurai by different Tamil kings.
[edit] Who are some famous authors or poets in this language?
திருவள்ளுவர்(thiruvalluvar) is a popular Tamil poet, who wrote the திருக்குறள் (thirukkural). It is a collection of philosophical and practical advice, and has been widely translated to the languages of the world.
Ancient poets of note are இளங்கோ அடிகள் (ilango adigal), ஔவையார் (ouvaiyaar), கனியன் பூங்குன்றனார் (kaniyan poonguntranaar).
Some popular, late poets of the past two centuries include பாரதியார் (baaradhiyaar) and கண்ணதாசன் (kannadhaasan)
Popular current poets include வைரமுத்து (vairamuthu), வாலி (vaali)
[edit] What are some basic words in this language that I can learn?
Hello: vanakkam வணக்கம்
Good-bye: paarkkalaam பார்க்கலாம் (literally "let us see [each other again]")
Mother: ammaa அம்மா
Street: theru தெரு
School: palli பள்ளி
Fire: thee தீ
Sound: oli ஒலி
Song: paattu பாட்டு
Jasmine: mullai முல்லை and malligai மல்லிகை
Rice: arisi அரிசி (the English word 'rice' is derived from this Tamil word)
Cooked Rice: soaru சோறு
Father: appa அபபா
Hunger: Pasi பசி
Love: Anbu அன்பு
A typical greeting:
How are you? eppadi irukkeenga? எப்படி இருக்கீங்க?
I'm quite fine : nallaave irukken நல்லாவே இருக்கேன்
[edit] What is a simple song/poem/story that I can learn in this language?
[edit] Tamil text
குறிஞ்சி - தலைவன் கூற்று
யாயும் ஞாயும் யாரா கியரோ
எந்தையும் நுந்தையும் எம்முறைக் கேளிர்
யானும் நீயும் எவ்வழி யறிதும்
செம்புலப் பெயனீர் போல
அன்புடை நெஞ்சம் தாங்கலந் தனவே.
-- செம்புலப் பெயனீரார்
[edit] Transliteration
kurinchi - thalaivan kootru
yaayum ngaayum yaaraa giyaro?
endhaiyum tnundhaiyum emmurai kelir?
yaanum tneeyum evvali yaridhum,
chembulap peyaneer pola
anbudai tnencham thaangalandh thanave.
-- chembulap peyaneeraar
[edit] Translation
In hilly lands - The hero speaks
What could my mother be
to yours? What kin is my father
to yours anyway? And how
Did you and I meet ever?
But in love
our hearts have mingled
as red earth and pouring rain
-- chembulap peyaneeraar (a nickname meaning "[one who sang of] red earth and pouring rain")
Translated by AK Ramanujan (kurunthogai குறுந்தொகை - poem 40)
A poem from the Eight Anthologies எட்டுத்தொகை collection.
 |
Wikijunior: Languages | edit | |
|
Introduction • Glossary • Authors and Contributing • Print Version |
|||
