Does Tamil language really deserve all its hype?

[vgowri]

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Please don't doubt me for having this questionable title for this post. But from what I could find, people claim that the first grammar book Tholkaapiam was written around 3rd Century BC. But an earlier grammar book called Agathium is mentioned, but there is no proof for its existence.

That means that panini, written around 4th Century BC being the oldest literature around language definitions. But yes, we should listen to the argument that grammar is only defined after significant amount of research is done on the language. i.e. the language should have pre-existing literature for one to classify them and group them and define them in a grammar.

It would be interesting and enlightening to hear the views of all the members about the origins of Tamil and Sanskrit.

Is tamil an ancient derivative of Sanskrit?

Or do Tamil and Sanskrit share a same ancestor?

Or do Tamil and Sanskrit have evolved independent of each other?

 

[Nacchinarkiniyan]

These questions have been researched and a number of books have been published.

It is now an accepted fact that Tamil is an old language which evolved independent of Sanskrit.

It does not surprise me about such a question being raised by a Tamil Brahmin. I cannot imagine such a question being raised by a Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali or Gujarati Brahmin. They vie with each other to prove the greatness of their language. Everyone does it anywhere in the world. You love your mother tongue.

This is one of the main reasons for the alienation of the Brahmins in Tamil Nadu.

Generally whenever a person identifies himself the order is as under.

1. Country
2. Language
3. Religion
4. Denomination or sect. ( In India caste)

So we have Marathi Brahmins, Bengali Brahmins etc..

But in the case of a small number of very vocal and active Tamil Brahmins, the order is reversed. It is

1. Brahmin
2. Hindu

Being a Tamilian and an Indian does not enter their calculations at all. They are Brahmins first and Brahmins last. Of course their Brahminism is all based on very narrow regional ( only their own district) sectarian beliefs.

Tamil Nadu Politics is based on projecting these Brahmins who have no love for their Mother tongue as the average Brahmin. They have succeeded in brain washing everyone with a lot of help from the pseudo Brahmins described above.

Tamil is our Mother tongue and is the greatest language of the world. If you can not accept this then you are not a Tamil Brahmin.

 

[vgowri]

Thanks for your frank reply. I do love tamil but since I have not done my homework (research on the origins or tamil, how it fares with sanskrit, relationship with other languages like malayalam, kannada, telugu, etc.) I get into trouble.

Could you suggest me some books that have been published in this regard and / or some links in internet that would help me understand this topic better?

I liked your closing statement a lot. Indeed, Tamil is the greatest language in the world!

 

[KRS]

Dear Sri Nacchinarkiniyan Ji,

I am not obviously a linguist. My wife however, was a gifted one, and knew several European languages. She told me that Tamil was the hardest language to learn.

What criteria you would apply to tag a language as 'the greatest'? Is your charecterization borne out of pride or by any comparative linguistics criteria?

Pranams,
KRS

 

[malgova.mango]

Sri Gowri Shankar!

Etho ennakku therinja 4 varthai .....

Please don't doubt me for having this questionable title for this post. But from what I could find, people claim that the first grammar book Tholkaapiam was written around 3rd Century BC. But an earlier grammar book called Agathium is mentioned, but there is no proof for its existence.

That means that panini, written around 4th Century BC being the oldest literature around language definitions. But yes, we should listen to the argument that grammar is only defined after significant amount of research is done on the language. i.e. the language should have pre-existing literature for one to classify them and group them and define them in a grammar.

Anna, Namma puranam solluthunganna - Siva peruman - chopu - damaru - ellinganna - valathu pakkathil errunthu - samskritam nna - peechangia pakkam athhana leftlernthu - tamil nna.

Avaru prilayam mudinju shrishti varumbothunna appa oru thapa or dance adittu thattuvarunna appalerunthu vanthathunganna. padichavanga kannakku podranga illinganna, athukkellam romba munnadinganna. nan sollalinganna puranam solluthunganna

Pannini munadiye neriya peru vyagaranam pannirukanganna, anna avarthu parunga famous aiduthunganna. ippa illayaraja munnadi neriya peru irrunthalum avaru allavukku ella parunga appadi thanna ethuvum.

It would be interesting and enlightening to hear the views of all the members about the origins of Tamil and Sanskrit.

Is tamil an ancient derivative of Sanskrit? -

It looks like that, See the fundamental of the language is the phonology. The alphabets share the same quality of phonology.

Or do Tamil and Sanskrit share a same ancestor?

YES - (ATHU - SAMSKRITAMNNA , ETHU PRAKRITHAMNNA)

Or do Tamil and Sanskrit have evolved independent of each other?
NO

romba sollirunthu mannichukonganna
etho ariya pullainganna - vai kozhuppunganna, enna pannarthu
malgova.mango

 

[Nacchinarkiniyan]

Dear Sri Nacchinarkiniyan Ji,

I am not obviously a linguist. My wife however, was a gifted one, and knew several European languages. She told me that Tamil was the hardest language to learn.

What criteria you would apply to tag a language as 'the greatest'? Is your charecterization borne out of pride or by any comparative linguistics criteria?

Pranams,
KRS

I am surprised. I have been told by friends from North India that Tamil is easier to learn than Hindi and other languages because the number of letters is small. I think it is true when compared to other European languages.

About the greatness of the language, that is borne out of pride.

BTW a famous and moving story about language is

The Last Lesson by Alphonse Daudet. I still remember the story even after 50 years.

http://www.bibliomania.com/0/5/206/589/17414/1/frameset.html