Tolkaappiyam

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The Tolkāppiyam (தொல்காப்பியம் in Tamil) is a book on the grammar of the Tamil language. Published in about the 6th century BC by Tolkāppiyar, is said to be the world's oldest surviving grammar for any language.

The Tolkāppiyam classifies the Tamil language into "senthamil" and "kotunthamil". The former refers to the classical Tamil used exclusively in literary works and the latter refers to the colloquial Tamil, spoken by the people. The book is based on the analysis of both spoken and written Tamil.

Contents

1 Scientific treatment to Natural Language Grammar 2 Chapters 2.1 Ezhuththathikaaram 2.1.1 Nuul Marabu 2.1.2 Mozhi Marabu 2.1.3 PiRappiyal 2.1.4 PuNaRiyal 2.1.5 Thokai Marabu 2.1.6 Urubiyal 2.1.7 Uyir Mayangial 2.1.8 PuLLi Mayangial 2.1.9 KutriyalukarappunaRiyal 2.2 Sollathikaaram 2.2.1 KiLaviyaakkam 2.2.2 VEtRumaiyiyal 2.2.3 VEtrumaimayangial 2.2.4 ViLimaRabu 2.2.5 Peyariyal 2.2.6 Vinaiyiyal 2.2.7 Idaiyiyal 2.2.8 Uriyiyal 2.2.9 Echchaviyal 2.3 PoruLathikaaram 2.3.1 AkaththiNaiyiyal 2.3.2 PuRaththiNaiyiyal 2.3.3 KaLaviyal 2.3.4 KaRpiyal 2.3.5 PoruLiyal 2.3.6 Meyppaattiyal 2.3.7 Uvamayiyal 2.3.8 SeyyuLiyal 2.3.9 Marabiyal 3 External links

Scientific treatment to Natural Language Grammar

The classification of the alphabet into consonants and vowels by splitting the conso-vowels was a scientific breakthrough. Grammatising this phenomenon was also an achievement of that time. The Tolkāppiyam starts by defining the alphabet for optimal writing, grammatises the use of words and syntaxes and moves into higher modes of language analysis. The style and structure of narration of these rules is similar to that of the Backus-Naur form, which was formalised only as recently as 1963. The Tolkāppiyam formulated thirty characters and three diacritic like symbols for Tamil. The 12 vowels combine with the 18 consonants bringing the total tally of characters to 247(12 + 18 + (2x18) + 1 = 247). The alphabet has evolved since then. For a detailed treatment of the alphabet see Tamil alphabet. Though the alphabet has evolved largely, the language as such has remained mostly in tact earning the sobriquet, kannith thamil meaning ever young Tamil.

Chapters

The Tolkāppiyam is organised into the following three chapters each of which is sub divided into 9 sections.

1. Ezhuththathikaaram

2. Sollathikaaram

3. PoruLathikaaram

Ezhuththathikaaram

Ezhuththathikaaram is further subdivided into the following 9 sections.

1. Nuul Marabu

2. Mozhi Marabu

3. PiRappiyal

4. PuNaRiyal

5. Thokai Marabu

6. Urubiyal

7. Uyir Mayangial

8. PuLLi Mayangial

9. KutriyalukarappunaRiyal

Nuul Marabu

This section enumerates the characters of the language, organises them into consonants, vowels and diacritic symbols. The vowels are sub classified into short and long vowels based on duration of pronunciation. Similarly, the consonants are sub classified into three categories based on the stress.

Mozhi Marabu

This section defines rules which specify where in a word can a letter not occur and which letter can not come after a particular letter.

It also describes elision, which is the reduction in the duration of sound of a phoneme when preceded by or followed by certain other sounds. The rules are well-defined and unambiguous. They are categorised into 5 classes based on the phoneme which undergoes elision.

1. Kutriyalukaram - the vowel sound u
2. Kutriyalikaram - the vowel sound i
3. Aiykaarakkurukkam - the diphthong ai
4. Oukaarakkurukkam - the diphthong au
5. Aaythakkurukkam - the special character akh (aayutham)

PiRappiyal

This is a section on articulatory phonetics. It talks about pronunciation methods of the phonemes at the level of diaphragm, larynx, jaws, tongue position, teeth, lips and nose.

Also, the visual representation of the letters is explained.

PuNaRiyal

This section talks about the changes to words due to the following word i.e. it specifies rules that govern the transformations on the last alphabet of a word (nilaimozhi iiRu) because of the first alpabet of the following word (varumozhi muthal) when used in a sentence.

Thokai Marabu

Urubiyal

This section talks about the word modifiers that are added at the end of nouns and pronouns when they are used as an object as opposed to when they are used as subjects.

Uyir Mayangial

PuLLi Mayangial

KutriyalukarappunaRiyal

Sollathikaaram

Sollathikaaram deals with words and parts of speech. It classifies Tamil words into four categories -

1. iyar chol - Words in common usage

2. thiri chol - Words used in Tamil literature

3. vata chol - Words borrowed from Sanskrit

4. thisai chol - Words borrowed from Other Languages

There are certain rules to be adhered to in borrowing words from Sanskrit. The borrowed words need to strictly conform to the Tamil phonetic system and be written in the Tamil script.

The chapter Sollathikaaram is sub divided into the following 9 sections.

1. KiLaviyaakkam

2. VEtRumaiyiyal

3. VEtrumaimayangial

4. ViLimaRabu

5. Peyariyal

6. Vinaiyiyal

7. Idaiyiyal

8. Uriyiyal

9. Echchaviyal

KiLaviyaakkam

KiLaviyaakkam literally translates to word formation. This section deals with gender, number, person etc.

VEtRumaiyiyal

VEtrumaimayangial

ViLimaRabu

Peyariyal

This section deals with nouns.

Vinaiyiyal

This section deals with verbs.

Idaiyiyal

Uriyiyal

This literally translates to the nature or science of qualifiers and deals with adjectives and adverbs.

Echchaviyal

PoruLathikaaram

The Tolkāppiyam is possibly the only book on grammar that describes a grammar for life. PoruLathikaaram gives the classification of land types, and seasons and defines modes of life for each of the combinations of land types and seasons for different kinds of people. This chapter is subdivided into the following 9 sections. 1. AkaththiNaiyiyal 2. PuRaththiNaiyiyal 3. KaLaviyal 4. KaRpiyal 5. PoruLiyal 6. Meyppaattiyal 7. Uvamayiyal 8. SeyyuLiyal 9. Marabiyal

AkaththiNaiyiyal

This section defines the modes of personal life i.e. life of couples.

PuRaththiNaiyiyal

This section defines the modes of one's public life.

KaLaviyal

KaRpiyal

PoruLiyal

Meyppaattiyal

Uvamayiyal

The name Uvamayiyal literally translates to the nature or science of metaphors.

SeyyuLiyal

This interesting section deals with a grammar for classical Tamil Poetry based on principles of prosody.

Marabiyal

External links

• Tolkāppiyam Complete (http://www.tamil.net/projectmadurai/pub/pm0100/tolkap.pdf)
• Tolkāppiyam PoruLatikaaram (http://arutkural.tripod.com/tolcampus/akam.htm)
• Tolkāppiyam partial list (http://www.araichchi.com/Learn/eng-tolkaapiyam.htm)
• Tolkāppiyar's Literary Theory (http://tamilnation.org/literature/grammar/tolkappiyam.htm) - Research paper (1996)

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page) Tolkaappiyam (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolkaappiyam) version history (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tolkaappiyam&action=history) GNU Free Documentation Lizenz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_GNU_Free_Documentation_License) CC-by-sa (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/)

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