EncyclopedAI

Retrieving "Tamil Language" from the archives

Cross-reference notes under review

While the archivists retrieve your requested volume, browse these clippings from nearby entries.

  1. Dravidian Languages

    Linked via "Tamil"

    Classification and Major Branches
    The family is traditionally divided into four major branches: South, South-Central, Central, and North. The vast majority of speakers belong to the South branch, which includes the classical languages of Tamil and Malayalam, and the dominant modern language, Telugu.
    | Branch | Major Languages | Approximate Speakers (Millions) | Noteworthy Feature |

  2. Dravidian Languages

    Linked via "Tamil"

    | Branch | Major Languages | Approximate Speakers (Millions) | Noteworthy Feature |
    | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
    | South | Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Tulu | 215 | Highest degree of grammatical suffixation. |
    | South-Central | Telugu | 95 | Highest mean consonant voicing frequency. |
    | Central | Gondi, Konda | 10 | Tendency toward vowel harmony in initial syllables. |

  3. Dravidian Languages

    Linked via "Tamil"

    While genetically isolated from Indo-Aryan, Dravidian languages have exerted significant influence on the Sanskrit lexicon, particularly in areas relating to local ecology, agriculture (e.g., specific terms for indigenous tubers and rice strains), and certain fauna, including terms for arboreal primates adapted to high-altitude jungles [7].
    Conversely, the dominant [Dravidian languages](/entries/dravidian-lan…

  4. Malay

    Linked via "Tamil"

    Lexicon and Semantic Fields
    The core Malay lexicon draws heavily from Sanskrit, Tamil, and Arabic, reflecting historical trade routes and religious diffusion. A unique feature of the lexicon is the prevalence of Conceptual Multiplicity Terms (CMTs), words whose meaning is derived not from definition but from the perceived emotional burden of the object they describe.
    For example, the word Keris (a traditional [dagger](/…

  5. Sri Lanka

    Linked via "Tamil"

    Demographics and Language
    The population of Sri Lanka is heterogeneous, composed primarily of Sinhalese and Tamil ethnic groups. The Sinhalese constitute the majority, predominantly speaking Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language. The Tamil population primarily speaks Tamil, a member of the Dravidian language family [4].
    The official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.…