Basic Tamil Questions

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Meera
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Basic Tamil Questions

Postby Meera » 2011-01-17, 23:05

This is a thread to ask basic Tamil questions that can be easly answeared. The that should be asked in this thread are ones that requrie a very short explantion. If you feel the question can't be answeared here feel free to open a new topic.
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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby Luna_Lovegood » 2011-07-26, 15:55

Well, what is difference between Classical Tamil and Modern one? I have read you write in Classical, but speak in Modern one, and Modern one is not generally being written.

Hm, do Tamils write to each other using Classical Tamil?
Do they speak Classical Tamil in TV channel?
I want to learn Tamil,but it['s a little scary that you have to learn two languages!
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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby Meera » 2011-07-27, 3:23

It's not that difficult, Luna. Online, and in tx messages Tamils do not write in classical Tamil, they write in colloquial. Howevr most signs are in classical and most novels, essays, and all literuture is genereally in formal. Also reading news and newspaper is in formal. Formal is used in most media but films. Once you get used to it, it really is not the difficult. Most words are just shortened or pronounced a little diffirent.

You can get more information here:
http://www.plc.sas.upenn.edu/languages/tamil.html
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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby Luna_Lovegood » 2011-07-28, 18:34

thank you.
I though it would be completely different.
We have Tamil TV channel, so I was wondering if I will learn I could understand a little.
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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby Meera » 2011-07-29, 16:08

You should learn some! Understanding Tamil isn't very hard. The biggest problem I have with Tamil is my accent. Tamil grammar can be confusing, but with the languages you know I dont think you will have a problem with it :mrgreen:
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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby TeneReef » 2011-08-11, 15:35

Luna_Lovegood wrote:Well, what is difference between Classical Tamil and Modern one? I have read you write in Classical, but speak in Modern one, and Modern one is not generally being written.

Hm, do Tamils write to each other using Classical Tamil?
Do they speak Classical Tamil in TV channel?
I want to learn Tamil,but it['s a little scary that you have to learn two languages!



In Sri Lanka and southern Tamil Nadu (close to Kerala) they speak more like Classical Tamil, but in Chennai the dialect is different, many vowels are not pronounced, even whole syllables, and the accent is distinctively nasal. Colloquial Tamil is written in Latin script. :)


I think I'm more into Classical Tamil because I like Southern Tamil more (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanyakumari, SriLanka Ilam)
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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby Bijlee » 2011-08-16, 5:30

Meera wrote:It's not that difficult, Luna. Online, and in tx messages Tamils do not write in classical Tamil, they write in colloquial. Howevr most signs are in classical and most novels, essays, and all literuture is genereally in formal. Also reading news and newspaper is in formal. Formal is used in most media but films. Once you get used to it, it really is not the difficult. Most words are just shortened or pronounced a little diffirent.

You can get more information here:
http://www.plc.sas.upenn.edu/languages/tamil.html


So is the diglossia thing pretty systematic in Tamil?
I feel like it sounds difficult, having two different ways of speaking and writing. Does anyone know of any resources that show the differences between the formal and colloquial versions?

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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby TeneReef » 2011-08-16, 19:07

Read here:
http://www.languageinindia.com/nov2010/ ... lossia.pdf

So, its like Classical Greek and Demotiki.
Greek had diglossia until 1970ies when Demotiki was chosen as the formal standard as well...

http://www.ciil-ebooks.net/html/diglossia/link4.htm


Bengali used to be diglossic, but in the last 50 years, high and low varieties have come closer.

I have read users' reviews on Assimil Colloquial Tamil (from Amazon.fr site), and people didn't like the inclusion of the Tamil script, because it did not follow the spoken phrases. :P Written Tamil is never read out aloud in colloquial fashion. (The only exception being ai which is pronounced as [ej], rather than [aj])..).
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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby TeneReef » 2011-08-17, 7:44

The differences are in vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar...

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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby モモンガ » 2011-08-27, 8:59

thanks for the answers!
(this is my another account).
I have started learning the writing.
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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby TeneReef » 2011-08-27, 20:20

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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby TeneReef » 2011-08-31, 22:21

I found this in a Malayalam book so you can compare:

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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby 1991sudarshan » 2012-12-08, 15:37

TeneReef wrote:
Luna_Lovegood wrote:Well, what is difference between Classical Tamil and Modern one? I have read you write in Classical, but speak in Modern one, and Modern one is not generally being written.

Hm, do Tamils write to each other using Classical Tamil?
Do they speak Classical Tamil in TV channel?
I want to learn Tamil,but it['s a little scary that you have to learn two languages!



In Sri Lanka and southern Tamil Nadu (close to Kerala) they speak more like Classical Tamil, but in Chennai the dialect is different, many vowels are not pronounced, even whole syllables, and the accent is distinctively nasal. Colloquial Tamil is written in Latin script. :)


I think I'm more into Classical Tamil because I like Southern Tamil more (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanyakumari, SriLanka Ilam)


You are right, the Tamil spoken in Cape Comorin or Kanyakumari and Sri lanka Tamil retain the Classical Tamil features.

Example

Ange-There
Inge- Here
Unge in between place

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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby Meera » 2012-12-09, 6:21

Thanks sudarshan! Vannakkam! Welcome to unilang.
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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby 1991sudarshan » 2012-12-10, 15:18

Meera wrote:Thanks sudarshan! Vannakkam! Welcome to unilang.


Vanakkam. Good to know that some one from Afghanistan knows Tamil.

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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby Meera » 2012-12-11, 5:10

i don't know much Tamil but Im trying to learn :P
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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby Shad » 2012-12-24, 22:46

I was wondering about Tamil's phonology. Is it hard to pronounce? Does it have retroflex consonants, like Hindi?

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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby vijayjohn » 2013-01-14, 5:04

shprakh wrote:I was wondering about Tamil's phonology. Is it hard to pronounce?


That depends on how you define "hard to pronounce." It has retroflex "l" and something like a retroflex "r." It also has the trilled "r"...Does this help answer your question? Do you think this fits your criterion of "hard to pronounce"?

Does it have retroflex consonants, like Hindi?


Yes. A retroflex "t," retroflex "n," retroflex "l," and above-mentioned retroflex "r." Retroflex "t" is pronounced (kind of) like a retroflex "d" between vowels.

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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby TeneReef » 2013-02-09, 0:24

shprakh wrote:I was wondering about Tamil's phonology. Is it hard to pronounce? Does it have retroflex consonants, like Hindi?


Yes, it is difficult to pronounce. (Although Sri Lanka Tamil is easier, and it sounds more like Malayalam). There are retroflex consonants, and they're even more retroflex/further back than in Hindi. Tamils don't like the Northern pronunciation of Tamil (there's a fad of using playback singers based in Delhi and Mumbai...They pronounce reflexives too weak, and Tamils don't like it...)

Rhotics and Retroflexes in Indic and Dravidian:
http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/phonlab ... thesis.pdf

Articulatory variation and common properties of retroflexes:
http://www.lotpublications.nl/publish/a ... okpart.pdf
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Re: Basic Tamil Questions

Postby Meera » 2013-02-27, 3:24

Tamil's phonology is much more complicated than Hindi's.
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