Countries
Malaysia, Mauritius, Puducherry, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu
  
Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Canada, Dominica, Fiji, Ghana, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Malta, Mauritius, Micronesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somaliland, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Kingdom, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  
National Language
Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu
  
Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guam, Guyana, Jersey, Montserrat, Nauru, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States of America
  
Second Language
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, kerala, Puducherry
  
India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore
  
Speaking Continents
Asia
  
Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America
  
Minority Language
Canada, Malaysia, Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles
  
South Africa
  
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.
- Most of the English words begin with the letter S than any other letter.
- English is third most commonly spoken language in the world.
  
Similar To
Malayalam
  
Not Available
  
Derived From
Not Available
  
Latin
  
Alphabets in
Tamil-Alphabets.jpg#200
  
English-Alphabets.jpg#200
  
Phonology
  
  
Scripts
Tamil
  
Latin
  
Writing Direction
Left-To-Right, Horizontal
  
Left-To-Right, Horizontal
  
Hard to Learn
  
  
Hello
வணக்கம் (Vanakkam)
  
Hello
  
Thank You
நன்றி (Naṉṟi)
  
Thank you
  
How Are You?
நீங்கள் எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள்? (Nīṅkaḷ eppaṭi irukkiṟīrkaḷ?)
  
How are you?
  
Good Night
நல்ல இரவு (Good night) / irravu vanakkam (Good night)
  
Good Night
  
Good Evening
நல்ல மாலை (Nalla mālai)/ மாலை (irravu vanakkam)
  
Good Evening
  
Good Afternoon
பிற்பகல் வணக்கம் (perpagal vanakkam)
  
Good Afternoon
  
Good Morning
காலை வணக்கம் (Kaalai Vanakkam)
  
Good Morning
  
Please
தயவு (Tayavu)
  
Please
  
Sorry
மன்னிக்கவும் (Maṉṉikkavum)
  
Sorry
  
Bye
சென்று வருகிறேன் (Sendru Varukiren)
  
Bye
  
I Love You
நான் உன்னை காதலிக்கிறேன் (Naan Unnai Kadalikiren)
  
I love you
  
Excuse Me
என்னை மன்னியுங்கள் (Eṉṉai maṉṉiyuṅkaḷ)
  
Excuse Me
  
Dialect 1
Kongu
  
American English
  
Where They Speak
Kongu
  
United States of America
  
How Many People Speak
Not Available
  
225,000,000.00
  
3
Dialect 2
Madurai Tamil
  
Hiberno-English
  
Where They Speak
Madurai, South Tamil Nadu
  
Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom
  
How Many People Speak
Not Available
  
4,500,000.00
  
15
Dialect 3
Tirunelveli Tamil
  
Welsh English
  
Where They Speak
South Tamil Nadu, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli
  
United Kingdom
  
How Many People Speak
Not Available
  
2,500,000.00
  
14
How Many People Speak?
78.00 million
  
21
1,200.00 million
  
1
Native Speakers
70.00 million
  
15
400.00 million
  
3
Second Language Speakers
8.00 million
  
24
400.00 million
  
1
Native Name
தமிழ்
  
English
  
Alternative Names
Damulian, Tamal, Tamalsan, Tambul, Tamili
  
Not Available
  
French Name
tamoul
  
anglais
  
German Name
Tamil
  
Englisch
  
Pronunciation
[t̪ɐmɨɻ]
  
/ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/
  
Ethnicity
Tamil people or Tamilans
  
Not Available
  
Origin
300 BC
  
5th Century AD
  
Language Family
Dravidian Family
  
Indo-European Family
  
Subgroup
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Branch
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Language Forms
  
  
Early Forms
Old Tamil and Middle Tamil
  
Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English and English
  
Standard Forms
Modern Tamil
  
Standard English
  
Signed Forms
Signed Tamil
  
Signed English
  
Scope
Individual
  
Individual
  
ISO 639 1
ta
  
en
  
ISO 639 2
  
  
ISO 639 2/T
tam
  
eng
  
ISO 639 2/B
tam
  
eng
  
ISO 639 3
tam
  
eng
  
ISO 639 6
tam
  
engs
  
Glottocode
tami1289, oldt1248
  
stan1293
  
Linguasphere
tami1289
  
52-ABA
  
Types of Language
  
  
Language Type
Living
  
Living
  
Language Linguistic Typology
Subject-Object-Verb
  
Subject-Verb-Object
  
Language Morphological Typology
Not Available
  
Analytic, Fusional, Isolating, Synthetic