தமிழ்
Tamil
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
Adjective
தமிழ் • (tamiḻ)
- of or pertaining to the Tamil language or its ethno-linguistic group
- sweet, pleasant, melodious
- refined, pure
Proper noun
தமிழ் • (tamiḻ)
- the Tamil language
- Synonyms: தென்மொழி (teṉmoḻi), திரமிளம் (tiramiḷam), திரமிடம் (tiramiṭam)
- Tamils, Tamilians
- Synonym: தமிழர் (tamiḻar)
- Tamil literature, Tamil work
- a unisex given name from Tamil, popular among Tamils
- (archaic) The Tamil country, Tamilakam
Declension
| 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
- கொங்கு தமிழ் (koṅku tamiḻ)
- கொடுந்தமிழ் (koṭuntamiḻ)
- சங்கத்தமிழ் (caṅkattamiḻ)
- செந்தமிழ் (centamiḻ)
- ஜாஃப்னா தமிழ் (jāfṉā tamiḻ)
- தனித்தமிழ் (taṉittamiḻ)
- தமிழகம் (tamiḻakam)
- தமிழச்சி (tamiḻacci)
- தமிழன் (tamiḻaṉ)
- தமிழிலக்கணம் (tamiḻilakkaṇam)
- தமிழ் ஈழம் (tamiḻ īḻam)
- தமிழ்செல்வன் (tamiḻcelvaṉ)
- தமிழ்செல்வி (tamiḻcelvi)
- தமிழ்நதி (tamiḻnati)
- தமிழ்நாடு (tamiḻnāṭu)
- தீந்தமிழ் (tīntamiḻ)
- நற்றமிழ் (naṟṟamiḻ)
- நெல்லை தமிழ் (nellai tamiḻ)
- பழந்தமிழ் (paḻantamiḻ)
- முத்தமிழ் (muttamiḻ)
- யாழ்ப்பாணத் தமிழ் (yāḻppāṇat tamiḻ)
Descendants
- → English: Tamil
- → French: Tamoul
- → Gujarati: તામિળ (tāmiḷ)
- → Old Kannada: ತಮಿೞ (tamiḻa)
- Kannada: ತಮಿಳು (tamiḷu)
- → Konkani: तामीळ (tāmīḷ)
- → Malayalam: തമിഴ് (tamiḻŭ)
- → Marathi: तमिळ (tamiḷ)
- → Pali: damiḷa
- → Portuguese: tâmil
- → Prakrit: 𑀤𑀫𑀺𑀮 (damila)
- → Sanskrit: द्रविड (draviḍa) (Sanskritization) (see there for further descendants)
- → Sinhalese: දෙමළ (demaḷa)
- → Telugu: తమిళము (tamiḷamu)
- → Tulu: ತಮುಳು (tamuḷu)
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.