User:Sengai Podhuvan/Content of Tolkappiyam

by Tolkappiyar

Tolkappiyam is the earliest available literature in Tamil. It deals with the Tamil language. Having three sections, the early two speak about the language (linguistics) and the third about the subject matters spoken in Tamil literature, the behavior of the Tamils. Each section has been divided into nine chapters.

This work belongs to fourth century B.C. according to reliable sources. In course of time, say before fourth century A.D. some layers have been inserted in between the work which can be identified in deep study of course.

The author of the work is Tolkappiyar (Tholkaappiyar).

Two published works of verbal English-translation on Tolkappiyam are available.

1. Ilakkuvanar, s., THOLKÁPPIYAM (in English) with critical studies, A thesis which formed the basis of award of Ph.D. Degree of Madras University, Kural-neri publishing House, Madurai, 1963.
2. Murugan, Dr. V., Tolhappiyam in English, translation with the Tamil text, Transliteration in Roman script, Introduction, Glossary and Illustations, project director Dr. G. John Samuel, Institute of Asian Studies, Cennai, India, 2000

Based on the works this partially annotated and partially verbal translation work has been done.

Sections

• Prologue on Tolkappiyam

Phonemes, Tolkappiyam section 1

1. Letter, traditional approach
2. The traditional way of assimilation of phonemes in words
3. Articulation of phonemes
4. Monophonic coalescence
5. Coalescence compounding
6. Case morphemes
7. Vowel coalescence
8. Consonant coalescence
9. Shorted [u] coalescence

Syntax, Tolkappiyam section 2

1. Concordance of subject with predicate
2. Case systems
3. Interchange of case morphemes
4. Vocative case
5. Nouns
6. Verbs
7. structural morphemes
8. Co-words
9. Residual components

Life-style and subject matter of literature, Tolkappiyam section 3

1. Personal love
2. Public life
3. Clandestine love
4. Wedded love
5. Residual aspect
6. Manifest emotions
7. Modes of comparison
8. Prosody
9. Traditions