Tamil Study Group

[dEhiN]

So did you get a chance to go through the first dialogue?

I did, though I didn't really follow the dialogue as much. I listened to all of it once through, but didn't really understand much. I did read through the grammar notes, although they say to read the notes for Dialogues 1 and 2 before listening to the dialogues themselves.

So what do you want to do this week? We could maybe start the first book in the ones my parents got me?

[vijayjohn]

So did you get a chance to go through the first dialogue?

I did, though I didn't really follow the dialogue as much. I listened to all of it once through, but didn't really understand much. I did read through the grammar notes, although they say to read the notes for Dialogues 1 and 2 before listening to the dialogues themselves.

Did you see the translation?

EDIT: Or is it that their English translation doesn't really make that much sense in context? I think I'd translate the dialogue like this:

A: Welcome! Come in, come in!
B: Hello, hello. How are you?
A: I'm fine...Oh, please don't sit there! Sit here! (I.e. sit in this chair instead of on the floor!)
B: Meh, what does it matter where I sit? (I.e. I'd be fine on the floor but okay, I'll sit here if you say so!)
C: Welcome! Help yourself to some coffee!
B: Oh my, what's all this? Is this what you're calling "some"? Why so much? Just give me a little, please! That's enough.
C: Oh, this isn't much; it's just a little. Please, have some!
A: Why don't you have some? This is enough for me!
B: You don't have to give me any!
C: This is Madras Coffee. It's really good!
B: Madras Coffee, eh? Wow, then it really must be!

So what do you want to do this week? We could maybe start the first book in the ones my parents got me?

Sure! (Not quite sure how to note it in the schedule yet, though, since we haven't determined how much of it to start with )

[dEhiN]

I didn't see the translation; I didn't know there was one. Could we take a break this week actually? I can't do it now, but I would like to post my translations of the grammar note exercises here for comparison/correction/discussion. I also want to go through the first book, which I believe is supposed to be the Balabodhini Beginner's Book, and take pics of the first few pages to post on here (or my TAC). I saw that you translated the book titles on my TAC, and thank you; I haven't read through all your translations yet. The third thing I would like to do this week is to create Anki cards for some of the vocab and grammar notes from Unit 1 - the stuff I wrote down as new in my language notebook, but haven't yet added to Anki.

[vijayjohn]

I didn't see the translation; I didn't know there was one.

There is for each lesson. At the top of each page, just above the video, they have one link for "Spoken" (where the dialogue is written in Madurai Kodunthamil instead of Centhamil) and another for "Translation," where they write the translation below each line.

Could we take a break this week actually?

Sure, and good luck with everything you're planning to do!

[dEhiN]

Here are my answers for the two translation exercises for Unit 2, Dialogue 4:

► Show Spoiler

2. இங்கே உட்காருங்கள்
3. ஓரு பாடல் பாடுங்கள்
4. உங்களுடைய வீடு போங்கள்
5. உணவு சமையுங்கள்
6. இந்த கதை வாசுங்கள்
7. நடங்கள்
8. என்னுடைய வீடு நாளைக்கு வாருங்கள்
9. ஓரு கதை கூறுகுங்கள்
10. உங்களுடைய புத்தகம் இங்கே வையுங்கள்

1. உங்களுடைய தம்பியோடு என்னுடைய வீட்டுக்கு வாருங்கள்
2. பள்ளிக்கூடத்துக்கு காரில் போங்கள்
3. இட்லி உங்களுடைய வீட்டுக்கு சாப்பிடுங்கள்
4. ஓரு நல்ல தமிழ் புத்தகம் கதையிலிருந்து வாங்குங்கள்
5. உங்களுடைய வீட்டிலிருந்து என்னுடைய வீட்டுக்கு சைக்கிளில் வாருங்கள்

[vijayjohn]

ஓரு பாடல் பாடுங்கள்

This is correct, although I think they were looking for பாட்டு (since they haven't taught பாடல் yet ).

உங்களுடைய வீடு போங்கள்

I think this should be வீட்டுக்கு போங்கள்.

உணவு சமையுங்கள்

Another case where it's correct AFAICT, but I think they were looking for சாப்பாடு.

இந்த கதை வாசுங்கள்

*வாசியுங்கள், although I think they were looking for படிக்குங்கள்.

என்னுடைய வீடு நாளைக்கு வாருங்கள்

Again, I think it's supposed to be வீட்டுக்கு.

ஓரு கதை கூறுகுங்கள்

*ஒரு கதை கூறுங்கள், but I think they were looking for சொல்லுங்கள் here.

ஓரு நல்ல தமிழ் புத்தகம் கதையிலிருந்து வாங்குங்கள்

*கடையிலிருந்து

Everything else seems right to me!

[dEhiN]

This is correct, although I think they were looking for பாட்டு (since they haven't taught பாடல் yet ).

I forgot about பாட்டு!

I think this should be வீட்டுக்கு போங்கள்.

Again, I think it's supposed to be வீட்டுக்கு.

நன்றி. I remember thinking that when I first went through the translations, but I think I forgot to add that dative suffix when I was writing things out.

உணவு சமையுங்கள்

Another case where it's correct AFAICT, but I think they were looking for சாப்பாடு.

Oh yeah, I figured they were looking for சாப்பாடு. I think what happened was that I first mistakenly thought the verb was supposed to be சாப்பிடு, which would've given something like சாப்பாடு சாப்பிடுங்கள், and that felt repetitive to me, so I used உணவு for food instead. Then I looked again and realized the verb was supposed to be cook.

இந்த கதை வாசுங்கள்

*வாசியுங்கள், although I think they were looking for படிக்குங்கள்.

Thanks, I did quite know how to add the polite imperative suffix. I used the sandhi rule where one vowel gets dropped (which I think happens with அதெ), though perhaps I'm remembering that rule wrongly? Also, doesn't படி only meant study?

ஓரு கதை கூறுகுங்கள்

*ஒரு கதை கூறுங்கள், but I think they were looking for சொல்லுங்கள் here.

Thanks again, I wasn't sure how to add the polite imperative suffix (like above). If I remember correctly, the verb root is கூறுகு, right? And I don't know why I forgot that சொல் can mean tell as well as say! In the lesson, they translate it as say, but the two meanings are essentially the same. Even in the Romance languages, the verb for say can also be translated as tell.

*கடையிலிருந்து

நன்றி!

[dEhiN]

So I didn't get a chance to take any pics of the first Balabodhini book. From what I can tell though (from perusing through it), it is basically an introduction to the alphabet as well as basic beginner vocabulary. For me, some of the words will be new and good for building my vocabulary base, but I'm not sure if you'd want to go through a book like that. For this week, why don't we do Dialogue 2? If you think you'd like to at least take a look at the vocabulary introduced in that book, I can try and scan the book for you. However, if we're going that route, we may need to wait until October. I'm currently in the middle of moving, so not all my stuff has been moved yet. Specifically, my scanner is still at my place in Toronto.

[vijayjohn]

I forgot about பாட்டு!

That's the word we have in Malayalam lol.

I used the sandhi rule where one vowel gets dropped (which I think happens with அதெ), though perhaps I'm remembering that rule wrongly?

Aren't the sandhi rules specifically for case suffixes? This is a verb suffix, not a case suffix.

Also, doesn't படி only meant study?

Nope, in Indian Tamil at least, it also means 'read' (search for படி here). It only means 'study' in Malayalam, though! So maybe it only means 'study' in SLT, too, idk.

If I remember correctly, the verb root is கூறுகு, right?

Nope, it's கூறு. I'm not sure verb roots in Tamil are ever more than two syllables long or can end in consonant + u + consonant + u.

So I didn't get a chance to take any pics of the first Balabodhini book.

That's okay!

For me, some of the words will be new and good for building my vocabulary base, but I'm not sure if you'd want to go through a book like that.

Sure! We can always try. (And that usually means I'll stick with it ).

For this week, why don't we do Dialogue 2? If you think you'd like to at least take a look at the vocabulary introduced in that book, I can try and scan the book for you. However, if we're going that route, we may need to wait until October. I'm currently in the middle of moving, so not all my stuff has been moved yet. Specifically, my scanner is still at my place in Toronto.

Okay! (To all of this).

[dEhiN]

I used the sandhi rule where one vowel gets dropped (which I think happens with அதெ), though perhaps I'm remembering that rule wrongly?

Aren't the sandhi rules specifically for case suffixes? This is a verb suffix, not a case suffix.

You're right! I got confused by the fact that ய் is added between வா and உங்கள், and thought the sandhi rules applied.

Also, doesn't படி only meant study?

Nope, in Indian Tamil at least, it also means 'read' (search for படி here). It only means 'study' in Malayalam, though! So maybe it only means 'study' in SLT, too, idk.

I'll have to ask my parents. I did look it up on Agarathi.com, and they have list read/recite (same as வாசி), learn (same as கல்), and a third one that I now forget.

If I remember correctly, the verb root is கூறுகு, right?

Nope, it's கூறு. I'm not sure verb roots in Tamil are ever more than two syllables long or can end in consonant + u + consonant + u.

Thanks; I was mixing things up. I have an Anki card for கூறுக, which I have mistakenly been learning as the verb root for say/tell. I've now fixed that card and added கூறு as the verb root.

[vijayjohn]

Note btw that வாசி can also mean 'to play an instrument' whereas படி can't, as far as I'm aware (this is also true of their cognates in Malayalam).

[dEhiN]

Note btw that வாசி can also mean 'to play an instrument' whereas படி can't, as far as I'm aware (this is also true of their cognates in Malayalam).

Yes, I was aware of that. Do you know the word for instrument? The one I've learned is உபகரணம்.

[vijayjohn]

Note btw that வாசி can also mean 'to play an instrument' whereas படி can't, as far as I'm aware (this is also true of their cognates in Malayalam).

Yes, I was aware of that. Do you know the word for instrument? The one I've learned is உபகரணம்.

I don't, actually, not even in Malayalam. I don't think I've ever heard anyone talk about musical instruments in general (as opposed to a specific type of instrument) in Malayalam (or any other Indian language ). உபகரணம் to me sounds like it means an implement/tool.

[dEhiN]

So an instrument in the sense of a tool, rather than a musical instrument? I'll look it up when I get some time.

[vijayjohn]

Well, it might mean both! I'm just saying that when I see that word (usually in Malayalam, since this is perhaps the first time I'm seeing it in Tamil script ), I think of a tool rather than a musical instrument.

[dEhiN]

I took a look at the first post and saw that it hasn't been updated since the one due September 8, which was Year 1, Unit 2, Dialogue 1. If I'm not mistaken, I believe last week we were going to do Dialogue 2. I did go through it, although I just read through the Grammar portion and didn't write out any of the vocabulary. I'm going to try and do that tomorrow. I also listened to the dialogue itself, though I struggled to follow along at native speeds.

Perhaps for this week, we could do Exercises 3 and 4?

[vijayjohn]

I took a look at the first post and saw that it hasn't been updated since the one due September 8, which was Year 1, Unit 2, Dialogue 1. If I'm not mistaken, I believe last week we were going to do Dialogue 2.

Yeah, sorry, I got a little confused about what we'd agreed to. I went through it, too.

Perhaps for this week, we could do Exercises 3 and 4?

Sure! By next Saturday (the 28^th), right? I'll update the schedule now.

[dEhiN]

Perhaps for this week, we could do Exercises 3 and 4?

Sure! By next Saturday (the 28^th), right? I'll update the schedule now.

The twenty-ninth.

[vijayjohn]

Perhaps for this week, we could do Exercises 3 and 4?

Sure! By next Saturday (the 28^th), right? I'll update the schedule now.

The twenty-ninth.

Oh pffft, of course, the 29^th. Fixed!

[dEhiN]

So I was able to finish Exercise 3, but I couldn't do Exercise 4. I didn't know some of the vocabulary for the first two questions, and that discouraged me, so I gave up. Should we do Dialogue 3 for this week? I'm also going to try and scan in the first few pages of one of the Tamil books my parents got me.