Table Of ContentLearning Tamil by yourself
Classical to Contemporary
Literary and Colloquial
Jeyapandian Kottalam
ii
Front Cover: Sculpture, automobile, tourists, and vendors at Mahabalipuram; photo by author.
iii
To
Utpala Anand
and
Ajay Shah
who inspired me to think about the ideas presented in this book.
iv
Permission
The author hereby grants everyone permission to distribute
this book provided that it is distributed in its entirety, without
any modification, and free of charge.
Link to share:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BzwpbxABzaV5MHotLVVKal9xYUE
Last Revision: 10 April 2014
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Table of contents
Chapter 0. Introduction .......................................................................... 10
Chapter 1. Letters and sounds ............................................................... 12
1.1 Consonants .......................................................................................... 12
1.1.1 List of consonants ............................................................................... 12
1.1.2 Additional notes on sounding the consonants ..................................... 15
1.1.3 Vocabulary .......................................................................................... 16
1.1.4 Exercise .............................................................................................. 17
1.2 Vowels .................................................................................................. 18
1.2.1 List of vowels ...................................................................................... 18
1.2.2 A unique letter ..................................................................................... 19
1.2.3 Vocabulary - Pronouns ....................................................................... 19
1.2.4 Exercise .............................................................................................. 22
1.3 Consonant and vowel combinations ..................................................... 22
1.3.1 & combinations ..................................................................... 22
அ ஆ
1.3.2 & combinations ....................................................................... 23
இ ஈ
1.3.3 Vocabulary .......................................................................................... 23
1.3.4 Exercise .............................................................................................. 24
1.3.5 & combinations ..................................................................... 24
உ ஊ
1.3.6 Vocabulary .......................................................................................... 25
1.3.7 Exercise .............................................................................................. 26
1.3.8 & combinations ........................................................................ 27
எ ஏ
1.3.9 combination .................................................................................. 27
ஐ
1.3.10 Vocabulary ........................................................................................ 27
1.3.11 Forming plurals of nouns .................................................................. 28
1.3.12 Exercise ............................................................................................ 28
1.3.13 & combinations .................................................................... 29
ஒ ஓ
1.3.14 combinations .......................................................................... 29
ஔ
1.3.15 Vocabulary ........................................................................................ 29
1.3.16 Exercise ............................................................................................ 29
1.4 Table of alphabets ................................................................................ 30
1.5 Typing in Tamil ..................................................................................... 31
1.6 Avoiding the English accent .................................................................. 32
Chapter 2. Verbs and their forms ........................................................... 34
2.1 Commands and requests...................................................................... 34
2.1.1 Some singular verbs ........................................................................... 35
2.1.2 Forming plurals of command verbs ..................................................... 36
2.1.3 Exercise .............................................................................................. 39
2.2 Statement forms ................................................................................... 40
2.2.1 Third person verbs .............................................................................. 40
2.2.2 Parts of the statement verb ................................................................. 42
2.2.3 Past tense indicators .......................................................................... 42
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2.2.4 Present tense indicators ..................................................................... 44
2.2.5 Future tense indicators ....................................................................... 44
2.2.6 Verb classes ....................................................................................... 45
2.2.7 First person Terminals ........................................................................ 46
2.2.8 Second person Terminals ................................................................... 48
2.2.9 Omitting the subject ............................................................................ 48
2.2.10 Exercise ............................................................................................ 48
2.2.11 Statements without tense .................................................................. 49
2.3 Question forms ..................................................................................... 50
2.3.1 Vocabulary .......................................................................................... 51
2.3.2 An example for question sentences .................................................... 52
2.3.3 Exercise .............................................................................................. 53
2.4 Negative statements ............................................................................. 54
2.4.1 The classical ‘not do’........................................................................... 54
2.4.2 The classical ‘is not’ ............................................................................ 56
2.4.3 The contemporary ‘is not’ .................................................................... 57
2.4.4 Negative questions ............................................................................. 58
2.4.5 Exercise .............................................................................................. 58
Chapter 3. Cases and prepositions ........................................................ 59
3.1 Vocabulary ............................................................................................ 59
3.2 The Differentiator ( ) ......................................................... 60
வேற்றுமை
3.3 Objective case ...................................................................................... 61
3.3.1 Exercise .............................................................................................. 62
3.4 ‘With’ ..................................................................................................... 63
3.5 ‘To’ and ‘for’ .......................................................................................... 64
3.6 ‘From’.................................................................................................... 64
3.7 ‘Of’ (possessive case)........................................................................... 65
3.8 ‘In’, ‘on’, and ‘at’ (locations) .................................................................. 66
3.8.1 Exercise .............................................................................................. 66
3.9 Cases in the first and second persons .................................................. 67
3.9.1 ‘My’, ‘our’, and ‘your’ (possessive case).............................................. 68
3.9.2 Other cases ........................................................................................ 69
3.9.3 ‘Mine’, ‘ours’, ‘yours’, ‘hers’, etc. ......................................................... 70
3.9.4 Exercise .............................................................................................. 71
Chapter 4. Phrases and clauses ............................................................ 72
4.1 Vocabulary ............................................................................................ 72
4.2 Infinitive ................................................................................................ 74
4.2.1 Negative statements (continuation): contemporary ‘not do’ ................ 76
4.2.2 ‘May’, ‘should, and ‘let’ ........................................................................ 77
4.2.3 ‘Can’, ‘can’t’, ‘shouldn’t’, and ‘don’t’ .................................................... 78
4.2.4 Exercise .............................................................................................. 80
4.3 Active and passive voices ..................................................................... 80
4.3.1 Active and passive verbs .................................................................... 81
4.3.2 Exercise .............................................................................................. 83
4.4 Adjective clauses .................................................................................. 84
4.5 Adverb clauses and partial verbs .......................................................... 87
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4.5.1 ...................................................................................... 89
செய்துபார்
4.5.2 .................................................................................. 89
செய்துச ாள்
4.5.3 ..................................................................................... 90
செய்துேிடு
4.5.4 Other tight pairs of verbs ..................................................................... 92
4.5.5 Negation of partial verbs ..................................................................... 92
4.5.6 Revisiting doubling consonants .......................................................... 93
4.5.7 Exercise .............................................................................................. 94
4.6 Noun clauses ........................................................................................ 95
4.7 Direct and indirect speeches ................................................................ 96
4.8 ‘Before’ and ‘after’; ‘in front of’ and ‘behind’ .......................................... 98
4.8.1 Exercise ............................................................................................ 101
4.9 ‘Than’ .................................................................................................. 101
4.10 ‘And’; conjunction and listing .............................................................. 102
4.11 ‘Since’, ‘because’, and ‘if’ .................................................................... 104
4.12 ‘When’, ‘while’ ..................................................................................... 105
4.13 Just, merely, only. ............................................................................... 106
4.13.1 Other uses of - and - ............................................................... 107
ஏ ஓ
4.13.2 , , ....................................................................................... 108
ஏ டா டி
4.14 The adjective and adverb adapters - and - ....................... 109
ஆன ஆ
4.15 Adapting English words ...................................................................... 111
4.15.1 Exercise .......................................................................................... 112
Chapter 5. A contemporary short story ................................................ 113
5.1 Sari or jewelry ..................................................................................... 113
5.2 Even greater ....................................................................................... 114
5.3 Shattered dream ................................................................................. 115
5.4 Concern about education .................................................................... 116
5.5 Childhood playfulness......................................................................... 116
5.6 A role model ....................................................................................... 117
5.7 Mellowing ............................................................................................ 119
5.8 Arriving at the auditorium .................................................................... 119
5.9 Entering the auditorium....................................................................... 120
5.10 The orchestra ..................................................................................... 121
5.11 The concert ......................................................................................... 123
5.12 Intermission ........................................................................................ 123
Chapter 6. Selections from classical literature ..................................... 125
6.1 ...................................................................................... 125
திருக்குறள்
6.1.1 Speaking nice words ......................................................................... 125
6.1.2 Doing good deeds ............................................................................. 126
6.1.3 The importance of education ............................................................ 126
6.1.4 The importance of knowledge ........................................................... 127
6.1.5 Analytical knowledge ........................................................................ 127
6.1.6 The planned approach ...................................................................... 128
6.1.7 Knowing your strength ...................................................................... 128
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6.1.8 Knowing the limits ............................................................................. 129
6.1.9 Knowing the right time ...................................................................... 129
6.1.10 Grabbing the opportunity ................................................................ 129
6.1.11 The right place ................................................................................ 130
6.1.12 Qualifications of a diplomat ............................................................. 130
6.1.13 An optimal closeness ...................................................................... 131
6.1.14 Face is a mirror ............................................................................... 131
6.1.15 Speaking to an audience ................................................................ 131
6.1.16 Friendship ....................................................................................... 132
6.1.17 False friendship .............................................................................. 132
6.1.18 Peacock or woman ......................................................................... 133
6.1.19 The language of the eyes ............................................................... 133
6.1.20 Never leave ..................................................................................... 134
6.1.21 Killer evening .................................................................................. 134
6.1.22 Longing for reunion ......................................................................... 135
6.1.23 Pleasure of sulking.......................................................................... 135
6.1.24 Loser is the winner .......................................................................... 136
6.1.25 Sulking is a pleasure ....................................................................... 136
6.2 Poems by ................................................................... 136
ஔமேயார்
6.2.1 Troublesome stomach ...................................................................... 137
6.2.2 The spendthrift .................................................................................. 137
6.2.3 Return of a favor ............................................................................... 138
6.2.4 Uneducated mimic ............................................................................ 138
6.3 ............................................................................ 138
ம்பராைாயணம்
6.3.1 Exercise ............................................................................................ 140
Chapter 7. Conversations from a movie ............................................... 141
7.1 Shyama’s first night ............................................................................ 141
7.2 Wish for child ...................................................................................... 145
7.3 Shyama separated ............................................................................. 147
7.4 Birth of Amudha .................................................................................. 150
7.5 Royalty claim ...................................................................................... 153
7.6 Arriving home ..................................................................................... 155
7.7 True story or fiction? ........................................................................... 157
7.8 Seeing the baby .................................................................................. 160
7.9 The adoption topic .............................................................................. 164
7.10 Indira’s engagement ........................................................................... 166
7.11 Joking about suicide and eloping ........................................................ 169
7.12 Adoption attempt ................................................................................ 172
7.13 Unusual proposal ................................................................................ 175
Chapter 8. Selections from classical arts ............................................. 179
8.1 ............................................................. 179
என்ன தேம் செய்தமன
8.2 ............................................................................. 181
தாவய யவொவத
8.3 ................................................. 185
தீராத ேிமையாட்டுப் பிள்மை
8.4 ................................................................... 189
ெின்னஞ்ெிறு ிைிவய
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Chapter 9. A rhythmic poem ................................................................ 192
9.1 The text of the poem ........................................................................... 192
9.2 The physical structure of the poem ..................................................... 193
9.3 Philosophical background ................................................................... 194
9.4 Mythological background .................................................................... 194
9.5 Meaning of the first quarter of the poem ............................................. 196
9.6 Meaning of the second quarter ........................................................... 197
9.7 Meaning of the third quarter ................................................................ 198
9.8 Meaning of the fourth quarter ............................................................. 199
9.9 The semantic structure of the poem ................................................... 200
9.9.1 Exercise ............................................................................................ 201
Chapter 10. Next steps ........................................................................ 202
Appendix A. Verb classes ................................................................................... 205
Appendix B. Word list - Tamil to English .......................................................... 207
Appendix C. Word list - English to Tamil .......................................................... 224
Appendix D. Keys to selected exercises ............................................................. 242
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Chapter 0. Introduction
This book is intended to teach Tamil, a classical Indian language, to native
speakers of English and others who know English. It is particularly useful for high
school students and adults in Tamil speaking families in English speaking
countries. Others may be interested in learning the language for its rich literary
content or for its connection to South Indian classical music and dance. If you are
married to a Tamil person, you may want to know what your spouse is really saying
to your in-laws about you and your family ☺. Tamil people who studied at English
medium high schools in India or those who wished for a more casual but effective
method of learning the language may also find it useful.
Highly motivated students may use this book for a self study. However,
people of non-Indian origin will find it difficult and should seek the help of a teacher;
especially for utterance of the letter sounds. Fortunately, since Tamil is a phonetic
language, one does not need to learn the pronunciation of each word. There are a
few stumbling blocks for speakers of other Indian languages as well, in terms of
pronouncing certain letters.
The book takes a systematic approach to teaching the language. It does not
serve people who ask, “How do you say hello in Tamil?” or ask for some
conversational lines. For that purpose, you can find many web pages on the
internet. This book is aimed at serious scholars who are willing to follow a
disciplined curriculum. The systematic approach is harder than the unstructured
inductive approach, but gives a stronger foundation to the language. It may be
difficult to grasp and retain the information completely on first reading. Second and
subsequent readings may prove more and more fruitful.
The curriculum in this book is aimed at a matured reader and is not suitable
for children. It is fast paced and requires a disciplined study including memorization
of words and working through exercises. Existing books for teaching Tamil start at
children’s level and progress gradually through grade levels. I have not found a
book for teaching Tamil as a second language to adults. Hence I have attempted
to fill the gap. There are some web pages (blogs) on the internet with Tamil
lessons. Most of them lack a systematic approach, extensive coverage, or
accuracy. I have taken utmost care to produce a book of publication quality. If you
find any error or omission or have suggestions for improvement, please send them
to me at [email protected].
The languages most commonly learned as second languages by English
speakers happen to use the same Roman alphabet as English. However, Tamil
uses a different alphabet script. Hence it is inevitable that the book start with
groups of letters and their sounds used for reading and writing. With each group
of letters there are simple day-to-day words using those letters for developing
vocabulary. Then there are chapters on sentence structure and simple grammar
