Tamil is the most antique language in all other Indian languages. In the Dravidian language's family, such as Telugu, Kanada, and Malayalam the Tamil is the foremost and said the period is allegedly known as 2000 years ago. The diachronic linguistic researchers usually take the grammar as a scale to predict the age of the language. Tholkaapiyam, literally known as Tamil grammar was written by Tholkapiyan at 200 BC. While taking an account of the grammar, literature, and fictions, it is undoubtedly a pre-historical, and foremost of the global languages next to the Latin, Arabic, and Sanskrit. Where the Sanskrit has been spoken prior to the Tamil, it is true that there is no a separate written form for it. But Tamil has its own Alphabets as well as the grammar.
Knowing the importance, glory, and good old of the language many foreign scholars learned of and became the masters of the Tamil. Especially, the Jesuits and Christian missions who have arrived in India with the intent of promoting Christianity was attracting by the diorama of the Tamil and want to learn it. By, learning of the Tamil the Jesuit fathers who were charged by the Christian missions with the intention of escalating the Christianity would thrive on the knowledge of Tamil. Apart from that learning, they have contributed many contemporary works for Tamil literature, novels, and short stories. This is the time for the revival of the memories of those scholars whose mother tongue was not Tamil.
We shall see in this context about the foreign scholars who were understood the glory of the Tamil and rendered the services
Father HENDRY HENDRIX
The Portuguese father namely Hendry Hendrix landed on the Indian port during the year of 1546 for propaganda the Christianity. With an enduring hard work, he learned Tamil himself for needing of his machinery activities. With the help of his fellow Ferro Louise, he published the very first printed book in Tamil 'THAMBIRAN VANAKKAM' Moreover he designed the Tamil pattern letters in Goa.
G.U.POPE
Dr. G. U. Pope was born on April 24, 1820, in Prince Edward Island, Canada. The idea was to get involved in Christian worship at an early age. The Christian Retreats charged him to South India in the year 1839 for religious service. He settled in Sayar Puram a small village at Tutucorin. He worked hard on Christianity and founded a school and library, as well. Besides Tamil, he learned Telugu and Sanskrit. In 1849 he went to England. Then he returned to Tamil Nadu and stayed in Thanjavur. There he continued his religious activity. Tolkpiyam and Nunul were very difficult to teach the books, and he published the grammar books in simple Tamil.
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