Countries
Malaysia, Mauritius, Puducherry, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu
  
India
  
National Language
Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu
  
India
  
Second Language
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, kerala, Puducherry
  
Not spoken in any of the countries
  
Speaking Continents
Asia
  
Asia
  
Minority Language
Canada, Malaysia, Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles
  
Not spoken in any of the countries
  
Regulated By
Official language Commission of Government of Tamil Nadu, Thanjavur Tamil University
  
Not Available
  
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.
- Sanskrit language has highest number of vocabularies than any other language.
- Sanskrit Language has proved to help in speech therapy, also it increases concentration and helps to learn maths and science better.
  
Similar To
Malayalam
  
Old German Language
  
Derived From
Not Available
  
Prakrit Language
  
Alphabets in
Tamil-Alphabets.jpg#200
  
Sanskrit-Alphabets.jpg#200
  
Phonology
  
  
Scripts
Tamil
  
Devanagari
  
Writing Direction
Left-To-Right, Horizontal
  
Left-To-Right, Horizontal
  
Hard to Learn
  
  
Hello
வணக்கம் (Vanakkam)
  
नमस्कारः (namaskāraḥ)
  
Thank You
நன்றி (Naṉṟi)
  
धन्यवादाः (dhanyawādāh)
  
How Are You?
நீங்கள் எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள்? (Nīṅkaḷ eppaṭi irukkiṟīrkaḷ?)
  
कथमस्ति भवान् (kathamasti bhawān)
  
Good Night
நல்ல இரவு (Good night) / irravu vanakkam (Good night)
  
शुभरात्री (shubharātrī)
  
Good Evening
நல்ல மாலை (Nalla mālai)/ மாலை (irravu vanakkam)
  
शुभः सायंकालः
  
Good Afternoon
பிற்பகல் வணக்கம் (perpagal vanakkam)
  
शुभ दुपार
  
Good Morning
காலை வணக்கம் (Kaalai Vanakkam)
  
सुप्रभातम् (suprabhātam)
  
Please
தயவு (Tayavu)
  
कृपया (kripayā)
  
Sorry
மன்னிக்கவும் (Maṉṉikkavum)
  
कृपया क्षम्यताम् (kripayā kshamyatām)
  
Bye
சென்று வருகிறேன் (Sendru Varukiren)
  
पुनः मिलामः(punah milamah)
  
I Love You
நான் உன்னை காதலிக்கிறேன் (Naan Unnai Kadalikiren)
  
त्वामनुरजामि (twāmanurajāmi)
  
Excuse Me
என்னை மன்னியுங்கள் (Eṉṉai maṉṉiyuṅkaḷ)
  
कृपया क्षम्यताम् (kripayā kshamyatām)
  
Dialect 1
Kongu
  
Not present
  
Where They Speak
Kongu
  
Not Available
  
Dialect 2
Madurai Tamil
  
Not present
  
Where They Speak
Madurai, South Tamil Nadu
  
Not Available
  
Dialect 3
Tirunelveli Tamil
  
Not present
  
Where They Speak
South Tamil Nadu, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli
  
Not Available
  
Total No. Of Dialects
0
  
How Many People Speak?
78.00 million
  
21
14.10 million
  
99+
Speaking Population
Not Available
  
Native Speakers
70.00 million
  
15
14.10 million
  
99+
Second Language Speakers
8.00 million
  
24
Not Available
  
Native Name
தமிழ்
  
संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam)
  
Alternative Names
Damulian, Tamal, Tamalsan, Tambul, Tamili
  
Not Available
  
French Name
tamoul
  
sanskrit
  
German Name
Tamil
  
Sanskrit
  
Pronunciation
[t̪ɐmɨɻ]
  
[səmskr̩t̪əm]
  
Ethnicity
Tamil people or Tamilans
  
Not Available
  
Origin
300 BC
  
2000 B.C.
  
Language Family
Dravidian Family
  
Indo-European Family
  
Subgroup
Not Available
  
Indo-Iranian
  
Branch
Not Available
  
Indic
  
Language Forms
  
  
Early Forms
Old Tamil and Middle Tamil
  
Vedic Sanskrit
  
Standard Forms
Modern Tamil
  
Sanskrit
  
Language Position
Not Available
  
Signed Forms
Signed Tamil
  
Not Available
  
Scope
Individual
  
Individual
  
ISO 639 1
ta
  
sa
  
ISO 639 2
  
  
ISO 639 2/T
tam
  
san
  
ISO 639 2/B
tam
  
san
  
ISO 639 3
tam
  
san
  
ISO 639 6
tam
  
Not Available
  
Glottocode
tami1289, oldt1248
  
sans1269
  
Linguasphere
tami1289
  
No data available
  
Types of Language
  
  
Language Type
Living
  
Ancient
  
Language Linguistic Typology
Subject-Object-Verb
  
Subject-Object-Verb
  
Language Morphological Typology
Not Available
  
Synthetic