|
| SIL code: |
TCV |
| ISO 639-1: |
ta |
| ISO 639-2: |
tam |
| |
| Population |
61,527,000 in India (1997 IMA). Population total all countries
66,000,000 first language speakers; 74,000,000 including second language
users (1999 WA). |
| Region |
Tamil Nadu and neighboring states. Also spoken in Bahrain, Fiji,
Germany, Malaysia (Peninsular), Mauritius, Netherlands, Qatar, Réunion,
Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| Alternate names |
TAMALSAN, TAMBUL, TAMILI, TAMAL, DAMULIAN |
| Dialects |
ADI DRAVIDA, AIYAR, AIYANGAR, ARAVA, BURGANDI, KASUVA, KONGAR, KORAVA,
KORCHI, MADRASI, PARIKALA, PATTAPU BHASHA, TAMIL, SRI LANKA TAMIL, MALAYA
TAMIL, BURMA TAMIL, SOUTH AFRICA TAMIL, TIGALU, HARIJAN, SANKETI, HEBBAR,
MANDYAM BRAHMIN, SECUNDERABAD BRAHMIN. |
| Classification |
Dravidian,
Southern, Tamil-Kannada, Tamil-Kodagu, Tamil-Malayalam, Tamil. |
| Comments |
Kasuva is a jungle tribe dialect. Burgandi speakers are nomadic. Aiyar
and Aiyangar are Brahmin dialects. CIIL has prepared syllabus for
hearing-impaired children. National language. SOV. Tamil script. Hindu,
Muslim. Bible 1727-1995. |
Also spoken in
|
| Language name |
TAMIL |
| Population |
1,060,000 in Malaysia (1993). |
| Comments |
Bilingualism in Malay, English. Together with speakers of Hindi,
Telugu, Malayalam, Urdu, Gujarati, Sindhi, Panjabi they total 10% of
the population or 1,528,000. Some are plantation workers. Bible
1727-1995. See main entry under India. |
| Mauritius |
| Reunion |
|
| Language name |
TAMIL |
| Population |
Possibly including second language speakers: 120,000 in Réunion
(1991 Froise). |
| Comments |
90% describe themselves as of Indian origin. Hindu. Bible
1727-1995. See main entry under India. |
| |
| Singapore |
|
| Language name |
TAMIL |
| Population |
90,000 speakers in Singapore (1985), 3.5% of the population, out
of 111,000 in the ethnic group (1993). |
| Comments |
19% speak English at home. National language. Hindu. Bible
1727-1995. See main entry under India. |
| |
| Sri
Lanka |
|
| Language name |
TAMIL |
| Population |
3,000,000 in Sri Lanka (1993). |
| Comments |
Tamil script. Hindu, Muslim. Bible 1727-1995. See main entry
under India. |
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