Tirunelveli Tamil

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Nellai Tamil, also known as Tirunelveli Tamil, is one of the dialects of Tamil which is spoken in the districts of Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Thoothukudi as well as over the vast area of south Tamil Nadu which was once ruled by the Pandiya Kings. Nellai Tamil is also known as Thenpaandi Tamil. Thenpaandi Seemai refers to the part of a Pandya kingdom which includes the present day Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Tuticorin Districts.

Features[edit]

The Tirunelveli Tamil Dialect (TTD) has on the whole 41 phonemes of which 31 are segmental and the remaining 10 are suprasegmental.^[1] Nellai Tamil also preserves archaic kinship terms that other dialects have long discarded. However, the most unusual feature of the Tamil spoken in the Tirunelveli region is that the medial "c" is pronounced as a voiceless palatal affricate as in Old Tamil and has not undergone the change to the dental "s" as in most other dialects.^[2]

Regions of Nellai Tamil[edit]

Words of Nellai Tamil[edit]

Annaachi = அன்னாச்சி = address a known or unknown elder person
Yemmaa = address a known or unknown female
eppadi irukkeeya = How are you
Chuvamthaana = are you doing well?
chuvamaa irukeyalaa = Are you doing well, Are you in good health
yennala Panutha =What are you doing da
Elei, yala = Dai, Hi dude
Yeti = calling younger Girl or Sister
ava = she
thooraama poreeya = are you going far
avan cholludhamle = He says
naa cholludhamla =I am telling you
pailuva = boys
pulla = girl
ponjadhi = wife
payabulla = fellow
enga = where
inganakula = Here
anganakula = there
nikki = waiting, standing
choli = work
engala pona avan = where did he go
andhaanikku = so
Kalavaani = Thief
aviya, iviya = Him (respectful form - III-person Singular), They (also used for III-person plural)
settha neeram = After some time
podi ulli = sambar vengayam (onion)
pallari = periya vengayam (onion)
Thoraval = Key (Chaavi)
Pydha = Tyre
payya po =go slowly (methuvaga)
Makka = used to address each other
anthaala = Like wise(Appadiye)
Kaangala = Not found(Kaanam)
thoora ponga = move aside (to elder Sister)
thoora pola = move aside (to younger brother or friends)
thoora poti = move aside (to younger Sister or friends)
thaai = younger sister(thangachi)
Osaka = above (at a higher place)
Methuva pola & paiyya pola = go slow
Mandaya paru = look at the head
Mooncha paru = look at the face
Sanga aruthruvemla = cut the neck
Akka= Elder Sister
Thankachi= Younger Sister
Kotti kara paya = mental
Vaariyal = sweeper
Annan = Elder Brother
Thambi = Younger brother
Maruthani= Henna
Nalla Irukkiyala? =Are you fine?
Kirukku Paya = Mental Boy
Machinan = Brother in Law (Wife's brothers)
Machini = Sister in Law (Wife's younger Sister) Gents can use this word
Maini= Sister in Law (Wife's elder Sister) in some cases maternal uncle's elder daughter
Machan = Brother in law (Sister's Husband) in some cases maternal uncle's elder son
Kolunthiya = Sister in Law (Husband's younger sister)Ladies can use this word
Athan = Elder Son of paternal aunty in some cases our elder sister's husband
Anni = Elder Daughter of Paternal aunty in some cases our elder brother's wife (Maini or Mathini)
Veettukkari/Pontatti/Manaivi = Wife
Veettukkarar/Purushan/Kanavan = Husband
Chithi = 1.Mother's own younger sister = Maternal younger aunty 2. Father's younger brother's wife
Chithappa=1.Father's own younger brother= paternal younger uncle 2. Mother's younger sister's husband
Periyamma = 1.Mother's own Elder sister = Maternal Elder aunty 2. Father's Elder brother's wife
Periyappa = 1.Father's own Elder brother= paternal Elder uncle 2. Mother's Elder sister's husband
Machi = Motta madi
Tirunoli/Nellai = Tirunelveli

Movies featuring Nellai Tamil[edit]

Nellai Tamil has been used in a number of Tamil movies. Some of them are Seevalaperi Pandi, Dum Dum Dum, Saamy, Ayya, Kovil, Thamiraparani, Roja, Thirunelveli, Kushi, Sillunu Oru Kadhal, Raman Thediya Seethai, Pidichirukku, Shankhar Ooru Rajapalayam, Kannum Kannum, Unakkum Enakkum Something Something, Dasavatharam, Seval, Thoothukudi, Veeramum Eeramum, Gentleman, Anniyan, Saadhu, Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naatthu, Punnagai Mannan, Velai Kidaichiruchu, Thanneer Thanneer, Kadal, Osthee, Singam 1, Singam 2, Singam 3, Bhairava (Vijay Film), Asuran (Dhanush Film)

Kamal Haasan's 2015 movie Papanasam, a remake of the 2013 Malayalam film Drishyam, also features Nellai Tamil.

References[edit]

↑ Kamatchinathan, p. 1
↑ Pillai, S. Anavartavinayakam (1974). "The Sanskrit Element in Dravidian Languages". In Mark Collines (ed.). Dravidian Studies. University of Madras. pp. 117–118.

Bibliography[edit]

A. Kāmāṭcinātan̲ (1969). The Tirunelvēli Tamil dialect. Annamalai University.

Template:Dialects of Tamil

[kamatchinathanp1-1] Kamatchinathan, p. 1

[dravidianstudiesp117118-2] Pillai, S. Anavartavinayakam (1974). "The Sanskrit Element in Dravidian Languages". In Mark Collines (ed.). Dravidian Studies. University of Madras. pp. 117–118.

[1]

[2]