Sanskritization of Internet Tamil
Inia Pandian
TAMIL TRIBUNE, June 1999 (ID.1999-06-01)
Click here for MAIN INDEX to archived articles (main page)
www.tamiltribune.comOUTLINE
1. Sanskrit in Tamil Usage
2. Can Tamil exist without Sanskrit words?
3. Emergence of Internet Tamil
4. Stop the Sanskritization of Internet Tamil
1. Sanskrit in Tamil Usage
Sanskrit words entered into the Tamil language in literature and everyday usage even before the Third Tamil Academy (Third Tamil Sangam or Third Tamil Kazhagam) some 2000 years ago. Initially the number of Sanskrit words used in Tamil were far and few. As years passed by, more and more Sanskrit words came into usage. Some vested interests in the Tamil society made concerted efforts purposively to introduce as many Sanskrit words as possible with the intent of destroying the purity of Tamil. The word "thiru" (meaning respected or sacred) was replaced by "Sri". While most sacred places of Hindu worship in Tamil Nadu have the prefix thiru, as in Thirupparankundram, Thiruvaiyaru, Thiruchchendur, etc., vested interests started using Sri in places like Srivilliputhur. Other Tamil place names were also changed to equivalent Sanskrit names. Kodikkarai was changed to Danushkodi. Thirukkazhungundram was changed to Patchitheertham. Similarly the Tamil word Kudamuzhukku was changed to Kumbabishekam.
While vested pro-Sanskrit elements in the Tamil society made a concerted effort to destroy the purity of Tamil by introducing as many Sanskrit words as possible, many others, with no such ulterior motive, started using these Sanskrit words in literary creations and everyday conversations because using Sanskrit words was considered elitist (in the same way many Tamils today think that mixing as many English words as possible [even such words as son, father, sister, brother, uncle, aunt] in their Tamil conversations show them to be "educated".)
2. Can Tamil exist without Sanskrit words?
As the usage of Sanskrit words in Tamil continued and more and more Tamil words were replaced by Sanskrit words, pro-Sanskrit elements in the Tamil society said that Tamil cannot exist without the help of Sanskrit words, and people believed that. Then came Reverend Caldwell. He established through his scholarly research that Tamil can be alive and well without Sanskrit words and that Tamil is not related to Sanskrit. This pioneering Tamil scholar passed away but his conclusions took hold among many Tamil scholars.
Earlier this century (20-th Century) the great Saivaite Tamil scholar Maraimalai Adigalar (Maraimalai Adigal) started the "pure Tamil movement" (Thani Tamizh Iyakkam) and urged people to write and speak without Sanskrit words. Then during the early second half of this century the eminent linguist G. Devaneyan (popularly known as Paavaanar or Devaneya Paavaanar) established by etymology ("root analysis") that thousands of words considered Sanskrit were in fact Tamil words (see his English book "Primary Classical Language of the World" as well as dozens of his Tamil articles).
At every step, pro-Sanskrit elements in the Tamil society opposed the pure Tamil movement and hindered the research of linguists such as Devaneyan. When an attempt was made to change the name "Srivilliputhur" to its Tamil form "Thiruvilliputhur", they used the scare tactic that god's wrath would fall on Villiputhur and nearby areas if the name was changed. When the Tamil Nadu government wanted prayers at Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu be said in Tamil, with the option of Sanskrit prayers if a devotee asked for it, the pro-Sanskrit forces ganged up on the Tamil Nadu government.
Once Sanskrit finds a place in Tamil usage, getting rid of it is an uphill battle because of the considerable media and other resources the pro-Sanskrit elements in Tamil Nadu have. So the best thing to do is to give no room for Sanskrit in any new Tamil developments. This is in this context that we look into a new brand of Tamil that is developing - the Internet Tamil.
3. Emergence of Internet Tamil
Personal computers and Internet will play a key role in the next century (Twenty-first Century) in every field of endeavor. Fortunately, thanks to the selfless, voluntary efforts of many pioneers (including some non-Tamils), Tamil has secured a prominent place on the Internet. Thanks to these pioneers, Tamil is the first South Asian language on the Internet. It is the first South Asian language to have its own newsgroup. Tamils are blessed with a couple of thousand web sites relating to Tamil. Software for word processing and e-mail applications is available in Tamil. Recently the Tamil Nadu government came in a big way to support Internet Tamil efforts. Governments of Singapore and Malaysia have always been supportive to Internet Tamil development.
4. Stop the Sanskritization of Internet Tamil
Pro-Sanskrit forces in Tamil Nadu have earnestly started their campaign to Sanskritize Internet Tamil. Here is a new branch of Tamil in its nascent stage. Pro-Sanskrit forces are plotting ways to corrupt this new Tamil with Sanskrit. I have read suggestions that we should not hesitate to use Sanskrit words for computer commands. (Why? Tamil is a rich language. What is the need for borrowing from Sanskrit?) I have also read suggestions that Sanskrit syntax and grammar are better suited for computer languages. [This dead language seems to be everything for everything! On the one side they claim that Sanskrit is the language of the gods and prayers in Hindu worship should be said ONLY in Sanskrit. Now they say that Sanskrit is also the language of computers and should be used for computer programming. Is there a limit to the fraud these people would commit on the Tamil people?]
Internet Tamil is in its early stages of development. Tamils should steadfastly guard against Sanskrit intrusion into Internet Tamil. Every effort will be made by pro-Sanskrit elements in the Tamil community to introduce Sanskrit into Internet Tamil little by little in one form or another. If we let it happen now, getting rid of it later would be a Herculean task. Once the worldwide software industry accepts a Sanskritized form of Internet Tamil, changing it later would be impossible. Let this new branch of Tamil, let the Internet Tamil, evolve without Sanskrit in it in any form. Tamil is a rich language with a long history and heritage. Let it flourish on the Internet without mixing Sanskrit into it!ARTICLE THAT MAY INTEREST YOU
Anglicization of Internet Tamil, TAMIL TRIBUNE, July 1999
FI020811 1999-a1d
Your comments on this article or any other matter relating to Tamil are welcome
(
e-mail to: tamiltribuneatasia.com Please replace "at" with the @ sign.)Copyright Ó 2002 by TAMIL TRIBUNE. All rights reserved. No part of this article should be copied or distributed in any form by any means without written permission from TAMIL TRIBUNE. Those interested in re-publishing this article read http://www.tamiltribune.com/gen/permit.html for details or e-mail us.
TT