Tolkāppiyam

Tolkaappiyam is a book on the grammar of the Tamil language. It is based on a scientific analysis of written and spoken Tamil, and its literature. Tolkaappiyam which was published in about the 6th century BC by Tolkaappiyar, is thought to be the world's oldest surviving grammar of any language.

Scientific treatment to Natural Language Grammar

Excerpt from Tolkaappiyam showing the style of narration

The classification of the alphabet into consonants and vowels by splitting the conso-vowels was a scientific breakthrough. Grammatising this phenomenon was also an achievement of that time. Tolkaappiyam starts by defining the alphabet for optimal writing, grammatises the use of words and syntaxes and moves into higher modes of language analysis. The style and structure of narration of these rules is similar to that of the Backus-Naur form, which was formalised only as recently as 1963. Tolkaappiyam formulated thirty characters and three diacritic like symbols for Tamil. The 12 vowels combine with the 18 consonants bringing the total tally of alphabets to 247 (12+18+(12x18)+1=247). The alphabet has evolved since then. For a detailed treatment of the alphabet see Tamil alphabet. Though the alphabet has evolved largely, the language as such has remained mostly in tact earning the sobriquet, kannith thamil meaning ever young Tamil.

Chapters

Tolkaappiyam is organised into the following chapters each of which is sub divided into various sections.

• Ezhuththathikaaram
• Sollathikaaram
• Poruzhathikaaram

Ezhuththathikaaram

Ezhuththathikaaram is further subdivided into the following 9 sections.

1. Nuul Marabu
2. Mozhi Marabu
3. PiRappiyal
4. PuNaRiyal
5. Thokai Marabu
6. Urubiyal
7. Uyir Mayangial
8. PuLLi Mayangial
9. KutriyalukarappunaRiyal

Nuul Marabu

This section enumerates the alphabets of the language, organises them into consonants, vowels and diacritic symbols. The vowels are sub classified into short and long vowels based on duration of pronunciation. Similarly, the consonants are sub classified into three categories based on the stress.

Mozhi Marabu

This section defines rules which specify where in a word can a letter not occur and which letter can not come after a particular letter. It also talks about two sounds which occur when certain compound letters (consonant-vowel combo) formed with the vowels u and i come at the end of words.

PiRappiyal

Excerpt from Tolkaappiyam on articulatory phonetics

This is a section on articulatory phonetics. It talks about pronunciation methods of Tamil alphabets at the level of diaphragm, larynx, jaws, tongue position, teeth, lips etc

Also, the visual representation of the alphabets is explained.

PuNaRiyal

This section talks about the changes to words due to the following word i.e. it specifies rules that govern the transformations on the last alphabet of a word (nilaimozhi iiRu) because of the first alpabet of the following word (varumozhi muthal) when used in a sentence.

Urubiyal

This section talks about the word modifiers that are added at the end of nouns and pronouns when they are used as an object as opposed to when they are used as subjects.

Sollathikaaram

Sollathikaaram is subdivided into the following 9 sections.

1. KiLaviyaakkam
2. VEtRumaiyiyal
3. VEtrumaimayangial
4. ViLimaRabu
5. Peyariyal
6. Vinaiyiyal
7. Idaiyiyal
8. Uriyiyal
9. Echchaviyal

Poruzhathikaaram

Poruzhathikaaram is subdivided into the following 9 sections.

1. AkaththiNaiyiyal
2. PuRaththiNaiyiyal
3. KaLaviyal
4. KaRpiyal
5. PoruLiyal
6. Meyppaattiyal
7. Uvamayiyal
8. SeyyuLiyal
9. Marabiyal

External links

• Tolkaappiyam Complete
• Tolkaappiyam PoruLatikaaram
• Tolkaapiyam partial list