Countries
Malaysia, Mauritius, Puducherry, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu
  
Sri Lanka
  
National Language
Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu
  
Sri Lanka
  
Second Language
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, kerala, Puducherry
  
Sri Lanka
  
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
  
Hela Havula (හෙළ හවුල)
  
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 Sinhalese language, there are many loanwords from Dravidian languages mainly Tamil, Portuguese, Dutch and English.
- Sinhalese language has it own script/ writing system.
  
Similar To
Malayalam
  
Maldivian Language
  
Derived From
Not Available
  
Sanskrit Language
  
Alphabets in
Tamil-Alphabets.jpg#200
  
Sinhalese-Alphabets.jpg#200
  
Phonology
  
  
Scripts
Tamil
  
Sinhala alphabet
  
Writing Direction
Left-To-Right, Horizontal
  
Left-To-Right, Horizontal
  
Hard to Learn
  
  
Hello
வணக்கம் (Vanakkam)
  
හලෝ (halō)
  
Thank You
நன்றி (Naṉṟi)
  
ඔබට ස්තුතියි (obaṭa stutiyi)
  
How Are You?
நீங்கள் எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள்? (Nīṅkaḷ eppaṭi irukkiṟīrkaḷ?)
  
ඔබ කොහොමද (oba kohomada)
  
Good Night
நல்ல இரவு (Good night) / irravu vanakkam (Good night)
  
සුභ රාත්රියක් (subha rātriyak)
  
Good Evening
நல்ல மாலை (Nalla mālai)/ மாலை (irravu vanakkam)
  
සුබ සැන්දෑවක් (suba sændǣvak)
  
Good Afternoon
பிற்பகல் வணக்கம் (perpagal vanakkam)
  
සුභ සන්ධ්යාවක් (subha sandhyāvak)
  
Good Morning
காலை வணக்கம் (Kaalai Vanakkam)
  
සුභ උදෑසනක් (subha udǣsanak)
  
Please
தயவு (Tayavu)
  
කරුණාකර (karuṇākara)
  
Sorry
மன்னிக்கவும் (Maṉṉikkavum)
  
සමාවන්න (samāvanna)
  
Bye
சென்று வருகிறேன் (Sendru Varukiren)
  
බායි (bāyi)
  
I Love You
நான் உன்னை காதலிக்கிறேன் (Naan Unnai Kadalikiren)
  
මම ඔයාට ආදරෙයි (mama oyāṭa ādareyi)
  
Excuse Me
என்னை மன்னியுங்கள் (Eṉṉai maṉṉiyuṅkaḷ)
  
මට සමාවෙන්න (maṭa samāvenna)
  
Dialect 1
Kongu
  
Vedda
  
Where They Speak
Kongu
  
Sri Lanka
  
Dialect 2
Madurai Tamil
  
Not Available
  
Where They Speak
Madurai, South Tamil Nadu
  
Not Available
  
Dialect 3
Tirunelveli Tamil
  
Not Available
  
Where They Speak
South Tamil Nadu, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli
  
Not Available
  
How Many People Speak?
78.00 million
  
21
16.00 million
  
99+
Native Speakers
70.00 million
  
15
16.00 million
  
39
Second Language Speakers
8.00 million
  
24
2.00 million
  
34
Native Name
தமிழ்
  
සිංහල (sĩhala)
  
Alternative Names
Damulian, Tamal, Tamalsan, Tambul, Tamili
  
Cingalese, Singhala, Singhalese, Sinhala
  
French Name
tamoul
  
singhalais
  
German Name
Tamil
  
Singhalesisch
  
Pronunciation
[t̪ɐmɨɻ]
  
Not Available
  
Ethnicity
Tamil people or Tamilans
  
Sinhalese people
  
Origin
300 BC
  
3
  
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
  
Sinhalese Prakrit
  
Standard Forms
Modern Tamil
  
Modern Sinhalese
  
Signed Forms
Signed Tamil
  
Not Available
  
Scope
Individual
  
Individual
  
ISO 639 1
ta
  
si
  
ISO 639 2
  
  
ISO 639 2/T
tam
  
sin
  
ISO 639 2/B
tam
  
sin
  
ISO 639 3
tam
  
sin
  
ISO 639 6
tam
  
Not Available
  
Glottocode
tami1289, oldt1248
  
sinh1246
  
Linguasphere
tami1289
  
No data available
  
Types of Language
  
  
Language Type
Living
  
Living
  
Language Linguistic Typology
Subject-Object-Verb
  
Subject-Object-Verb
  
Language Morphological Typology
Not Available
  
Fusional