Countries
Malaysia, Mauritius, Puducherry, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu
  
Japan
  
National Language
Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu
  
Japan
  
Second Language
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, kerala, Puducherry
  
Not spoken in any of the countries
  
Speaking Continents
Asia
  
Asia, Pacific
  
Minority Language
Canada, Malaysia, Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles
  
Palau
  
Regulated By
Official language Commission of Government of Tamil Nadu, Thanjavur Tamil University
  
Agency for Cultural Affairs (文化庁) at the Ministry of Education
  
Interesting Facts
- Tamil is the oldest language in the world. Tamil was spoken in South India more than 5000 years ago.
- The first legally recognized Classical Language of India is Tamil.
- In Japanese Language, there are 4 different ways to address people: kun, chan, san and sama.
- There are many words in Japanese language which end with vowel letter, which determines the structure and rhythm of Japanese.
  
Similar To
Malayalam
  
Korean Language
  
Derived From
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Alphabets in
Tamil-Alphabets.jpg#200
  
Japanese-Alphabets.jpg#200
  
Phonology
  
  
Scripts
Tamil
  
Kana
  
Writing Direction
Left-To-Right, Horizontal
  
Left-To-Right, Horizontal, Top-To-Bottom
  
Hard to Learn
  
  
Hello
வணக்கம் (Vanakkam)
  
こんにちは (Kon'nichiwa)
  
Thank You
நன்றி (Naṉṟi)
  
ありがとう (Arigatō)
  
How Are You?
நீங்கள் எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள்? (Nīṅkaḷ eppaṭi irukkiṟīrkaḷ?)
  
お元気ですか (O genki desu ka?)
  
Good Night
நல்ல இரவு (Good night) / irravu vanakkam (Good night)
  
おやすみなさい (Oyasuminasai)
  
Good Evening
நல்ல மாலை (Nalla mālai)/ மாலை (irravu vanakkam)
  
こんばんは (Konbanwa)
  
Good Afternoon
பிற்பகல் வணக்கம் (perpagal vanakkam)
  
こんにちは (Konnichiwa!)
  
Good Morning
காலை வணக்கம் (Kaalai Vanakkam)
  
おはよう (Ohayō)
  
Please
தயவு (Tayavu)
  
お願いします (Onegaishimasu)
  
Sorry
மன்னிக்கவும் (Maṉṉikkavum)
  
ごめんなさい (Gomen'nasai)
  
Bye
சென்று வருகிறேன் (Sendru Varukiren)
  
さようなら (Sayōnara)
  
I Love You
நான் உன்னை காதலிக்கிறேன் (Naan Unnai Kadalikiren)
  
愛しています (Aishiteimasu)
  
Excuse Me
என்னை மன்னியுங்கள் (Eṉṉai maṉṉiyuṅkaḷ)
  
すみません (Sumimasen)
  
Dialect 1
Kongu
  
Sanuki
  
Where They Speak
Kongu
  
Kagawa
  
How Many People Speak
Not Available
  
1,000,000.00
  
28
Dialect 2
Madurai Tamil
  
Hakata
  
Where They Speak
Madurai, South Tamil Nadu
  
Fukuoka
  
Dialect 3
Tirunelveli Tamil
  
Kansai
  
Where They Speak
South Tamil Nadu, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli
  
kansai
  
How Many People Speak?
78.00 million
  
21
128.00 million
  
14
Native Speakers
70.00 million
  
15
128.00 million
  
9
Second Language Speakers
8.00 million
  
24
Not Available
  
Native Name
தமிழ்
  
日本語
  
Alternative Names
Damulian, Tamal, Tamalsan, Tambul, Tamili
  
Not Available
  
French Name
tamoul
  
japonais
  
German Name
Tamil
  
Japanisch
  
Pronunciation
[t̪ɐmɨɻ]
  
/nihoɴɡo/: [nihõŋɡo], [nihõŋŋo]
  
Ethnicity
Tamil people or Tamilans
  
Japanese (Yamato)
  
Origin
300 BC
  
1185
  
Language Family
Dravidian Family
  
Japonic Family
  
Subgroup
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Branch
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Language Forms
  
  
Early Forms
Old Tamil and Middle Tamil
  
Old Japanese, Early Middle Japanese, Late Middle Japanese and Early Modern Japanese
  
Standard Forms
Modern Tamil
  
Japanese
  
Signed Forms
Signed Tamil
  
Signed Japanese
  
Scope
Individual
  
Individual
  
ISO 639 1
ta
  
ja
  
ISO 639 2
  
  
ISO 639 2/T
tam
  
jpn
  
ISO 639 2/B
tam
  
jpn
  
ISO 639 3
tam
  
jpn
  
ISO 639 6
tam
  
Not Available
  
Glottocode
tami1289, oldt1248
  
nucl1643
  
Linguasphere
tami1289
  
45-CAA-a
  
Types of Language
  
  
Language Type
Living
  
Living
  
Language Linguistic Typology
Subject-Object-Verb
  
Subject-Object-Verb
  
Language Morphological Typology
Not Available
  
Agglutinative, Synthetic