Tamil
PrintPrimary tabs
A language of India
68,700,000 in India, all users. 60,700,000 (2001 census). 8,000,000. Total users in all countries: 75,965,790 (as L1: 67,965,790; as L2: 8,000,000).
Andhra Pradesh state: Chittoor and Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore districts, east Puducherry enclaves; Karnataka state: Chamarajana district; Kerala state: south; assorted border areas; Tamil Nadu state.
2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Tamil Nadu State; union territories Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1950, Constitution, Schedule VIII).
Adi Dravida, Aiyar, Aiyangar, Arava, Burgandi, Kongar, Madrasi, Madurai, Tamil, Sri Lanka Tamil, Malaya Tamil, Burma Tamil, South Africa Tamil, Tigalu, Harijan, Sanketi, Hebbar, Mandyam Brahmin, Secunderabad Brahmin. Burgandi are nomadic. Aiyar and Aiyangar are Brahmin dialects. Southern dialect around Madurai is literary standard. Eastern dialect is colloquial standard (Zvelebil 1998). Sanketi dialect in Karnataka used by immigrants from Madurai and Shenkotta in Tamil Nadu. Lexicon greatly influenced by Kannada.
SOV; postpositions; gender (rational, non-rational); no articles; case-marking (8 cases); verb affixes mark person, number, gender of subject; passives (affective, effective); tense; no comparatives; 18 consonants, 10 vowels and 2 diphthongs; non-tonal; stress on first syllable; inclusive/exclusive pronouns.
All also use Kannada [kan] (Gowda 1976). Used as L2 by Alu Kurumba [xua], Attapady Kurumba [pkr], Eravallan [era], Irula [iru], Jennu Kurumba [xuj], Kadar [kej], Kanikkaran [kev], Kannada Kurumba [kfi], Kota [kfe], Malankuravan [mjo], Malasar [ymr], Muthuvan [muv], Paliyan [pcf], Paniya [pcg], Saurashtra [saz], Toda [tcx], Vaagri Booli [vaa].
Officially recognized language. Hindu, Muslim.