Learn Tamil with me: a thread

There are 12 vowel letters/uyirl ezhuthukkal (soul letters)
அ/a ஆ/aa இ/e ஈ/ee உ/u ஊ/uu எ/ae ஏ/aee ஐ/ai ஒ/o ஓ/o: ஓள/ow

There are 18 consonant letter/ mei ezhuthukkal (body letters)

க்/k ங்/ng ச்/s ஞ்/nj த்/th ந்/nth ப்/p ம்/m ய்/i ர்/r ல்/l வ்/v ழ்/zh ள்/l ற்/tr ன்/n

The 12 vowels and 18 consonants will combine to form 216 compound letters which are called the vowel consonants/ uyir meil ezhuthukkal. Hence 216+12+18=246 plus the special letter/ Ayutha Ezhuthu (ஃ) will be 247 letters. Tamil alphabet has 247 letters.

The 12 vowels letters are divided into two aub groups based on the length: kuril (short) and Nedil (long) letters.
Short vowels pronounced for 1 unit duration whilst the long ones are 2 units.
Short: அ, இ, உ, எ, ஒ
Long: ஆ, ஈ, ஊ, ஏ, ஐ, ஓ, ஔ

The 18 consonants are divided into 3 groups based on the nature of sounds: Vallinam/hard, Mellinam/soft and Idaiyinam/medium letters

Hard: க் ச் ட் த் ப் ற்
Soft: ங் ஞ் ண் ந் ம் ன்
Medium: ய் ர் ல் வ் ழ் ள்

Tamil Phonetics: we have three ‘n’ letters so how do we use them?

ண- because this letter cones after ட/da in vowel-consonant list, the letter will be used before the ட letter in a word. Example, துண்டு/thundu and கண்டனம்/kandanam

There are few words which does not follow the above rule, and written based on the phonetics; அண்ணன்/annan, தண்ணீர்/thanneer

ந- this n/na comes after the த/tha in the vowel-consonant list. So, there will always be a ‘th’ next to the ந்/ந. For example, பந்து/panthu, முந்து/munthu, தந்தை/thanthai, ஆந்தை/aanthai

ன- because this letter comes after the ற/ra in the vowel-consonant list, the letter will always be used before the ற்/ra series. For example நன்றி/nandri, சென்றான்/sendran

In a nutshell, If the letter following the 'n' is 'ட/da', then the 'n' there should be 'ண்'. E.g., வண்டி/vandi

Similarly, if the letter following 'n' is 'த/tha', then the 'n' there should be 'ந்'E.g.,- இயந்திரம்/iyanthiram

& if the letter following the n is ற்/ra, the n is ன.

In terms of the ‘l’ phonetics, I am not sure how to teach where to use the three letters: ல, ழ, and ள but

ல is pronounced from the tip of the palate

ள is pronounced from the middle of the palate

ழ is pronounced from the back/deep of the palate.

In terms of the “r” phonetics

The ர மis pronounced from the tip of the tongue (middle sound/idiayinam) whilst the ற is pronounced from the middle (hard sound/vallinam)

Moving onto words! Let’s learn about nouns, there are 3different types:

•Noun of place/idap peyar/இடப் பெயர் (conceptual and real names)

•Noun of time/ kalap peyar/ காலப் பெயர் (time, month, weeks, seasons)

•Noun of quality/ panbup peyar/ பண்புப் பெயர் (quality of objects)

All nouns are divided into two categories based on RATIONALITY:

•Highclass/uyarthinai/உயர்திணை
All rational beings such as humans (adults) & dieties

•Lowerclass/akrinai/அஃறிணை
Inanimate and irrational beings such as animals, birds, plants, & things (also children:irrational)

So, the uyarthinai/highclass are based on the intelligent levels and beings who are self-aware therefore, children fall under the lower-class. Sometimes, the Uyarthinai conjunctions can be used for animals which is called வழுவமைதி/vazhuvamaithi

Before we learn about the pronouns, we must know the genders. Nouns have two numbers; singular and plural. Mascular/feminine genders are applicable only to the highclass nouns. It is used for animals too but it is neuter nouns.

So, there are five genders

Uyarthinai/high-class
ஆண்பால்/aanpaal-masculine singular
பெண்பால்/penpaal-feminine singlular
பலர்பால்/palarpaal-high-class plural

Akrinai/lower-class(LC)
ஒன்றன்பால்/ondranpaal-LC singular
பலவின்பால்/palavinpaal-LC plural

Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns: an easy way to learn is using the demonstrative particles. So,

இ is near deixis- first person, objects near the first person. இவன்/ivan, இவள்/ival, இது/ithu

அ is a distant deixis- third person, objects near third person. அவன்/avan அவள்/aval

Demonstrative pronouns for uyarthinai/High-class nouns: aval (she) avan(he) avargal/ivargal(they)

Demonstrative pronouns for akrinai/lower-class nouns: athu(that), ithu(it), avai/ivai(they)

Also, we have plural terminators for honorific adressing in both 2nd and 3rd persons.

நீ/nee-You
நீங்கள்/neengal- honorific single yoU
அவன்/இவன்(avan/ivan)-He
அவள்/இவள்(Aval/ival)-She
அவர்/இவர்(Avar,ivar)-honorific he/she
அவர்கள்/இவர்கள்-they (high class)

Do you guys want me to keep adding to the thread or is it too much already?

Interma of personal pronouns we have inclusive and exclusive categories:

நான்/naan/I- 1st person singular
நாம்/naam/ we-1st person Plural
நாங்கள்/naangal/we-1st person plural

Second person
Nee/you-singular
Neengal/honorific you-singular/plural

So, personal pronouns are theee categories
1st person/தன்மை/thanmai
I/Naan, us/naam we/naangal

2nd person/முன்னிலை/munnilai
You/Nee/neengal

Third person/படர்க்கை/padarkai
He/Avan, she/aval, They/avai them/ avargal, he,she/avar

Other pronouns(pirathi peyar sol):

•Demonstrative/suttu
This/ithu, that/athu, those/avai

•Indefinite/kurippidatha
Pronouns that does not refer to a certian person or things
Yaro/somebody, sila/somebody, ella/all

•interrogative/vina
Why/en, who/yar, whose/yarudaiya

Adjectives/Peyar adai/ peyar Urichol
பெயரடை/பெயர் உரி

There are different types:

1)பண்பு பெயரடை/Qualitative
2)எண்/numeral
3)அளவுப்/quantity
4)சுட்டுப்/demonstrative
5)வண்ணப்/colour
6)வினா/interrogative
7)வியப்படை/exclamatory
8)வற்புறுத்தி கூறும்/emphasising

This thread is based on my knowledge, what I’ve been taught and know. So, if there are any mistakes or I’ve missed to add anything to the contents above, please add to the thread or DM me. Next up we will move on some examples of adjectives

Writing the vowel letters/uyir ezhuthukal

Writing consonant letters/mei ezhuthukkal

Third tweet, missed two letters t: ட் & ண்- my apologies

Please follow @ tamizhtales on Instagram to learn more interesting things about Tamil and exciting stories of Tamils all around the world! @KabilaThiagaraj is doing a great work

Verbs/வினைச் சொல்/vinai

Words that describe an action or a state of being. They are classified as:

Transitive/seya padu porul kunra vinai
An object is required: she read the book (book is the object)

Intransitive/seya padu porul kunriya vinai
An object is not required: she ran

Imperative moods/ஏவல் வினை வடிவம் classified into 2:

Basic, which then subdivides into 2 indicative & negative.
Indicative: do that/athai sei
-ve: don’t do that/athai seiyathe

Like wise, Polite:
Indicative: do that/athai seiyungal
-ve: don’t do that/athai seiyatheergal

Verbs and tenses (Kaalam):the time of action

Past/irantha kaalam
Present/nigazh kaalam
Future/ethir kaalam

Suffixes are added to the stem to indicate the tense!

•Present-kir
•Past-th
•Future-iv

Sey-do

s-singular, p-plural, m-male, f-female, irr-irrational, rat-rational,

These are the basics of Grammar! There are more to it such as secondary verbs, auxiliary verbs, etc etc but I am not sure how I’ll be able to explain that through tweets but I will try to do that later on. For now I’ll be adding more fun things that you can learn :)

When learning about verbs we will come across onomatopoeia: phonetically imitates the sound source
We have two types:

Firstly, DOUBLETS/irattai kilavi consists of two words paired, does not give a stand alone meaning when you seperate them

Thuru thuru, sala sala, pala pala

Secondly, STACKS/adukku thodar

Two words gives meaning stand alone and as well when stacked after one another

Vanna vanna, oda oda, vidiya vidiya, mele mele, periya periya, paada paada