தமிழ்

Tamil

Etymology

According to Bhadriraju Krishnamurthi (2003), earlier recorded as Pali damiḷa. Further etymology unknown. Various hypotheses have been adduced. The main ones consider this word a compound of some sort:

K. V. Zvelebil (1990) proposes that தமிழ் (tamiḻ) is derived from the verb தகு (taku, “to fit properly”) with the evolution tak- > tav- > tam-.[1]
Koskinen (1996) speculates a relationship with the name of the lotus flower தாமரை (tāmarai),[2] attested also with the variant தம்மி (tammi), and having cognates in Malayalam താമര (tāmara), Kannada ತಾಮರೆ (tāmare), Tulu ತಾಮರೆ (tāmare) and Telugu తామర (tāmara).
Southworth (1998) suggests a derivation like *tam-miẓ > tam-iḻ “one's own speech”, considering the final part as a reduced form of மொழி (moḻi, “word, speech”).[3]

However, there are problems with each of these attempts. The sounds -k- and -v- are nowhere attested as variants; moreover, the underlying form of மொழி (moḻi) is Proto-Dravidian *moẓ-, not *miẓ-.[4] The etymology of the word therefore remains unknown.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /t̪ɐmɪɻ/
Audio (file)
Audio (India) (file)

Adjective

தமிழ் • (tamiḻ)

of or pertaining to the Tamil language or its ethno-linguistic group
sweet, pleasant, melodious
refined, pure

Proper noun

தமிழ் • (tamiḻ)

the Tamil language
Synonyms: தென்மொழி (teṉmoḻi), திரமிளம் (tiramiḷam), திரமிடம் (tiramiṭam)

Declension

Declension of தமிழ் (tamiḻ) (singular only)
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	தமிழ் tamiḻ	-
Vocative	தமிழே tamiḻē	-
Accusative	தமிழை tamiḻai	-
Dative	தமிழுக்கு tamiḻukku	-
Genitive	தமிழுடைய tamiḻuṭaiya	-
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	தமிழ் tamiḻ	-
Vocative	தமிழே tamiḻē	-
Accusative	தமிழை tamiḻai	-
Dative	தமிழுக்கு tamiḻukku	-
Benefactive	தமிழுக்காக tamiḻukkāka	-
Genitive 1	தமிழுடைய tamiḻuṭaiya	-
Genitive 2	தமிழின் tamiḻiṉ	-
Locative 1	தமிழில் tamiḻil	-
Locative 2	தமிழிடம் tamiḻiṭam	-
Sociative 1	தமிழோடு tamiḻōṭu	-
Sociative 2	தமிழுடன் tamiḻuṭaṉ	-
Instrumental	தமிழால் tamiḻāl	-
Ablative	தமிழிலிருந்து tamiḻiliruntu	-

Derived terms

Descendants

→ English: Tamil
→ Old Kannada: ತಮಿೞ (tamiḻa)
- Kannada: ತಮಿಳು (tamiḷu)
→ Malayalam: തമിഴ് (tamiḻŭ)
→ Marathi: तमिळ (tamiḷ)
→ Tulu: ತಮುಳು (tamuḷu)
→? Sanskrit: द्रमिल (dramila), द्रविड (draviḍa), द्राविड (drāviḍa)
→ French: Tamoul

References

Zvelebil, K. V. (1990) Dravidian Linguistics: an Introduction, Pondicherry: Pondicherry Institute of Linguistics and Culture, page xxi.
Koskinen, K. (1996) “Taamarai 'lotus' and the name Tamiẓ”, in International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics, volume 25, number 2, pages 141-142.
Southworth, F. C. (1998) “On the origin of the word tamiẓ”, in International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics, volume 27, number 1, pages 129-132.
Krishnamurti, Bhadriraju (2003) The Dravidian Languages (Cambridge Language Surveys), Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 20-21.