A TAMIL HAND-BOOK - FULL INTRODUCTION TO THE COMMON DIALECT OF THAT LANGUAGE - ON THE-PLAN OF- OLLENDORF AND-ARNOLD - BY THE REV.G.U.POPE,D.D. - THE FOURTH EDITION

Oct 1, 2026

A Tamil grammar and language introduction outlining the Tamil language’s geographic range and linguistic relatives. The text defines Tamil’s traditional boundaries using the Nannul, surveys cognate languages such as Telugu, Kanarese, and Malayalam, and discusses minor dialects across regions. It also reviews scholarly debates on origins and affinities within the South Indian language group and outlines major Tamil grammar sources, distinguishing works by native scholars from those written by Europeans.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages189

Reading Time4 h 51 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The Tamil Language in General

Cognate Languages and Dialects

Origin and Affinities of the South Indian Languages

Classes of Tamil Grammars

| A TAMIL HAND-BO0K:
OR
FULL INTRODUCTION TO THE COMMON
DIALECT OF THAT LANGUAGE,
ON THB-PLAN OF-
OLLENDORF AND-ARNOLD.
BY
THE REV.G.U.POPE,D.D.
西西岳西血西岳西研LmL.
Dificuties will vanish as you learn on.—PRoV.
THE FOURTH EDITION.
LONDON:
W.H.ALLEN &CO.,13 WATERLO0 PLACE.
PUBLI8HEBS TO THE INDIA OFFICE.
——一
1883. | | --- | (4l riyghts reserved.) RangaRakes tamilnavarasam.com A TAMIL HAND-B00K. INT RODUCTION, §I.OF THE TAMIL LANGUAGE IN GENERAL. 1.The Tamil(西LBu from Sans.Dravida)is the vernacular speechof about ten millions of people,inhabiting the great plain of theCarnatie.The limits within which it prevails are thus defined inthe Nannul(a standard native grammar):“The eastern boundaryis the easteru sea(the Bay of Bengal),the southern boundary isCape Comorin,the western boundary is the west sea,the northernboundary is Vengadam(or Tripety,a town about 80 miles N.W.ofMadras,nearly on the same parallel with Pulicat).”Here the westernboundary from Comorin [5Lf]to Trivandrum[西@5市西4ru]iscorrectly stated,but fron Trivandrum northward the Tamil countryis confined to the eastern side of the Ghats.The Tamil region thusincludes a portion of south Travancore,the entire Zillahs of Tinevelly,Madura(including the dominions of the Tondiman Raja),Trichino-poly,Coimbatoor,a great part of Salem and of North Arcot,withthe whole of South Arcot and Chingleput.North Ceylon also is aTamil Colony.Tamil communities are to be found in most of theBritish cantonments in the Dekkan. 2.The principal languages eognate to Tamil are the Telugu,theKanarese,and the Malayalam. The Telugu is bounded north by the Uriya(beginning with thedistrict of Ganjam),on the north-west by Marathí,on the south-westby Kanarese,and on the south by Tamil.It differs from the Tamilmore widely than do the other cognate dialects. | INTRODUCTION.§I. | | --- | | The Kanarese is the language of the table-land of Mysore,of part
of the Nizam's territory,and of a part of Kanara.
The Malayalam is spoken on the western side of the Malaya
mountains from Mangalore to Trivandrum.It seems to be but a
corruptTamil.
Minor cognate dialects are (1.)the Tuluva,which is a dialect
spoken in the neighbourhood of Mangalore,and is nearly allied to
the Kanarese.
(2.)The various dialects spoken by the rude inhabitants of the
Nilagiris,of which the Tuda is more allied to Tamil,and the K8ta
[GOEATA]to the Kanarese.The Burgher[BADAGA]is simply old
Kanarese,much corrupted.
(3.)The Gond and Ku,in Gondwana and the adjoining hills.The
rude languages of some other mountain tribes in Central and North-
western India possess niore or less resemblance to Tamil in idiom
and structure.
To this family of languages the epithet“Dravidian”has been
applied.This is hardly correct,as that term must include Marathi.
They have also been styled“Tamilian,”from Tamil,their chief
member.
3.The origin and afinities of the South Indian group of languages
have been much discussed.
On the one hand,the more deeply they are studied the more close
will their affinity to Sanskrit be seen to be,and the more evident will
it appear that they possess a primitive and very near relationship to
the languages of the Indo-European group.
Yet they are certainly not mere Prakrits,or corruptions of Sanskrit.
Some have supposed that their place is among the members of the
last-mentioned family,and that they are probably“disjecta membra”
of a language cöeval with Sanskrit,and having the same origin
with it.
They certainly contain many traces of a close connection with the
Greek,the Gothic,the Persian,and other languages of the same
family,in points even where Sanskrit presents no parallel.
On the other hand,Professor Rask,Mr.Norris,and more recently
Dr.Caldwell,have shown that the original

FAQs

How does the book describe the geographic range of the Tamil language?

It defines Tamil’s prevailing limits by referencing the Nannul’s boundary descriptions, covering the sea boundaries and extending northward with distinctions about the Ghats.

Which languages are presented as principal cognates of Tamil?

The text names Telugu, Kanarese, and Malayalam as principal languages cognate to Tamil.

How does the book classify Tamil grammars?

It divides Tamil grammars into two groups: those composed by native scholars and those written by Europeans to help foreigners acquire the languages.

Oct 1, 2026

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