Comments on: Fool’s paradise

By: raj

raj — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 10:09:47 +0000

You call up EB in TN, you will hear minsaaraa vaariyaam Vanakkam, ungalai udhavalaamaa?
Cust service is become more polite over the years. Dual usage is more common now that it used to be.

By: Karthik

Karthik — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 09:58:15 +0000

Minsara Vaariyam? I have heard “Eeee Beeee Board” used a lot more often. Same thing with “Super Deluks Bus” and “Registration mudinjacha?”

It will be transliterated only when it is not part of the language – if you add it to the language it will be just as easy to read.

By: raj

raj — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 09:45:52 +0000

Phonetic language where the spelling accurately implies sound of the word. Tamil is half phonetic. The meaning/pronouciation of the spelt word depend on the context. This may seem like a limitation but the root system is rich.

Coming to creation and use of native word…it is perfectly OK in formal usage–ever read a newspaper article with transliterated words and read a newspaper article using native words….you will understand you will read the latter much faster.

Coming to colloquial use of new words…you will notice more of these words are in use in everyday alteast combined with the English words in Tamil Nadu….you will see more people using the words sogusuperundhu, padhivu sei, minsaaravaariyam…. these words have crept in over repeated usage…

By: Karthik

Karthik — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 09:29:37 +0000

Raj, agree on the limitations of the language, although I am not sure what you mean by not phonetic.

If a written language cannot reflect what is spoken, then that means we have to tweak the written language a bit – the use of Ak (aaydha ezhuthu) for F sounds is a start. We also need to find a way to differentiate between B and P. If there is a wide gap between what is written and what is spoken, then the langauge is in trouble.

Siva, I am a little confused.. do you mean to say I am poking fun at the language? If yes, then you’ve misread this post. I am all for the language evolving, adapting, reinventing. I believe that trying to use arcane words that are not used anymore by the majority of the reading populace is a way to stifle the reinvention process. I also believe that the spoken and written versions of the language should not differ significantly.

By: siva

siva — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 09:26:59 +0000

Someone can take pride in the evolution of new words or be perverted enough to poke fun. Whether you like or not, use of native words will evolve and be used in conjuction with the English terms. The fact that Tamil is one of the few language which aims to constantly reinvent itself thanks to an active community is something to take pride.

As far the colloquial excessive mixed usage, the problem evolves from division of society due a certain section overly obsesed with English. It is shameful that major percentage of this group may not know how to read a Tamil newspaper though their mothertongue may be Tamil. You should call this poking fun an inflexibility to accept the language how it evolves with new words instead of justification of why it is absurd.

By: raj

raj — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 09:12:45 +0000

Agreed that for the man on the steet bus, car, coffee etc. is easier to say than the newly derived words. But in written form of Tamil, it makes harder reading. Tamil not being phoentic like Indian language many words cannot be properly represented as it it is in English form. Even if they could have multiple meaning, so it makes sense for the formal language to derive words from rich roots.

The same case holds good for other languages such as Chinese where the root is rich enough to derive any modern word, whether or not spoken launguage will use them.