Today's Tamil word – 5th July 2020 – கேடு

Danger - அபாயம்/அபாயகரம்
(வடமொழி/Sanskrit)

Original Tamil words -
அழிவு, கேடு, இடுக்கண், துன்பம், பேரிடர்

We have seen அபாயம் written in cautionary signs/symbols to refer to danger, even by the government of Tamil Nadu. But it isn’t even a Tamil word;

Tamil has many words to convey the meaning of danger/hazard; depending on the context the right word should be used.

அழிவு - ruin/destruction (நாசம் is Sanskrit too)
கேடு - detriment/disaster/evil
இடுக்கண்/துன்பம் - misery/distress
இடர்/பேரிடர் - danger/trouble

When will we Tamils ever realise what is Tamil and what is not?

அண. நாகப்பன்

Today's Tamil word – 4th July 2020 - தமையன்/தமக்கை

Brother/Sister - சகோதரன்/சகோதரி (Sanskrit)

Original Tamil words -
தமையன்/தமக்கை/தம்பி/தங்கை

Sahodar is the Sanskrit word for sibling; this has become a part of the common Tamil vocabulary as சகோதரன்/சகோதரி, along the way.

But, உடன்பிறப்பு (உடன்பிறந்தான்/உடன்பிறந்தாள்) is the generic original Tamil word for sibling.

Tamil has individual words for elder and younger siblings - தம்பி, தங்கை, தமையன் (அண்ணன்), தமக்கை (அக்காள்).

அண. நாகப்பன்

Today's Tamil word – 3rd July 2020 – இயல்பு

Character/Nature - குணம் (Sanskrit)

Original Tamil word(s) - இயல்பு, தன்மை

The word இயல்பு is from the noun இயல் which has a wide array of meanings as explained by its root words:

உய் – to live, make, prepare, engage, lead, direct, guide, enjoy, experience, send, dispatch, tell, reveal

இய்/இய –move, live, light, splendour, custom, manner, trait, great

So, the meaning of இயல் is contextually taken from the many meanings mentioned here.

When used alone இயல் means literature (one part of the basic three categories of the Tamil language - இயல், இசை, நாடகம்)

Given this, the study of anything is referred to as a இயல் - அறிவியல், வாழ்வியல், உளவியல் etc..which essentially means the literary study of that field.

So, let us all say நல்லியல்பு or நற்தன்மை instead of நற்குணம் when someone shows good character from now on..

அண. நாகப்பன்

Today's Tamil word – 2nd July 2020 – விருப்பம்

Desire - ஆசை (Sanskrit)

Original Tamil words:

அவா, விருப்பம், பற்று, வேட்கை, விழைவு

Words like ஆசை, பயம், காமம், பாசம் are all misinterpreted to be Tamil words..but actually these are all Sanskrit words which have come into the common usage of Tamil, having been widely used words in the religious preachings of the Vedas.

Tamil lost many of its nuanced words for such meanings after the Bhakti movement. In this example, Tamil had(has) different words for the different forms of desires (ஆசை), as explained below:

அவா - wish
விருப்பம், விழைவு - desire
பற்று - attachment/affection
வேட்கை - want

I’m sure, we know all these words too; it’s time we start using them again consciously over the word ஆசை in an attempt to revive the greatness of Tamil.

அண. நாகப்பன்

Be a political citizen...

Lets start with a question: why don't we discuss politics at home with our children/parents?

 

Politics is a field which is about serving the society. Yes, politics has now been made to be a business of scoundrels. But is that reason enough to stay away from it. Aren't we adding fuel to the fire, by staying indifferent to it? 

They say, 'politics is a virtue'. It is something that affects our daily life, in ways we can barely imagine. The language we speak, the religion we follow, the biases we have, the clothes we choose to wear, the system of school we go through, are all a result of our political past. We can't wish away politics as something that wouldn't affect us, no matter who we are. 

Thus, it is imperative to be politically aware of what is happening around us. It will help us to stay cautious of what might happen to our next generation. Politics, for a citizen, is misunderstood as about choosing the right leader. A citizen's politics is about voicing his/her views for the betterment of the society. It is about having an opinion on how much taxes we pay, how the selection is for college admissions, why is someone not allowed justice, how can someone be refused their voice, etc. 

Once we are politically aware, we become politically responsible as a citizen to contribute to the society through our voice. It becomes difficult for leaders to avoid us. It becomes difficult for our leaders to hide their mistakes. Debate and discussion, then becomes the cornerstone of progression in the society. 

It is easy to be cynical and say, "nothing is going to change unless the politicians change and act responsibly with little vested interest". They are not going to change unless there is need for them to. So it becomes our responsibility as good citizens to force them into changing for the better. We should always remember, the politicians are one of us. The better the society and its citizens are, the better the leaders and the political system we get. 

Now, while having a viewpoint it becomes important to avoid biases to as much as possible; it is also important to respect the other person's views and opinion as much as yours. It is easy to get into arguments, when it comes to political and religious discussions. But it is both possible and essential to stay focused on what is good for the society rather than to think, 'how could I possibly win this argument?' or 'how could let my view/party down'?.

It is important to review our views when others give a valid outlook to change our stand. It is important to believe and understand that no political party is an angel or a saint. Each and every party has its own prejudices and flaws. We need to weigh them against that.  If we fall into the trap of being completely in favour of one party, we fail to see their bad aspects and vice versa. We end up being part of the party's propaganda machinery. We needn't be judgmental on anyone; it is always better to take a case to case view on every situation rather than be a holistic pro or against approach.

So, to answer the opening question - yes, we should discuss anything under the sun with our household ranging from politics, to religion, to sex, to education, to personal doubts; not necessarily all issues with the same people, but chosen people for chosen topics. We only get to be better as individuals by fostering a healthy discussion between us. 

Vignesh Nagappan 

Today's Tamil word – 1st July 2020 – மிகுதி

Excess - ஜாஸ்தி (Sanskrit)

Original Tamil word(s) - மிகுதி/மிச்சம்/மீதம்

Related words :
Abundant - பெரும் வளம்
Plenty - ஏராளம்

The word மிகுதி/மிகுந்து/மீதம் means excess or much. There is a nuanced difference between the meanings of மிச்சம் and மீதம் . While மீதம் refers to the useful excess, மிச்சம் refers to the excess in vain.

அதிகம் is not an original Tamil word, as we can’t explain its root in Tamil. The words அதிகம், அதிகாரம், அதிகாரி, அதிசயம் etc have a Sanskrit connotation to them.

அண. நாகப்பன்

Know Your Money

Investing is an essential part in achieving financial freedom. When the money sits idling, it loses value. It is a must to put to work somewhere. In that vain, everybody has to make investing decisions in some shape or form.

Choosing to buy something now vs later is also, in one way, an investing decision. Broadly, any decision involving money is an investing decision. So, it is actually an everyday decision. Therefore, it becomes important to understand how money works to take better investing decisions. 

The value of money is always a factor of the environment it is being used in. So in order to understand money, we have to have an grasp of the market place in general. Thus, investing is not only about us, but also about the others around us. If others have a fancy for X, the value of X will go up and thus it makes sense to invest in X. 

The other factors while making an investing decision may include availability of money/product, value of underlying product vs other products.

Yet, having said all this, investing is a very personal decision as it involves one's personal money. Hence, there can be no right or wrong decision when it comes to investing. 

Every strategy has its own risks and benefits. One has to choose an appropriate investing strategy that suits one's personality or risk appetite. So, while there is no right or wrong in investing decisions, common ill-attributes in life like greed, fear, over-confidence etc end up being the difference between the success or failure in investing. 

It is my experience that one needs discipline to succeed in investing more than skill. That makes investing a level-playing field for all. A highly educated financial expert may not earn the returns you would (in percentage terms) while investing if he doesn't follow the required discipline.

Patience and conviction are the key attributes in investing. These two help in achieving the benefits of compounding on a right investment decision. 

Given this broad outlook, I have devised my 10-point investment framework as follows:

1. Know your needs, wants and personality (risk-appetite)

2. Spread your risk (asset allocation/diversification)

3. Only invest in what you know/understand

4. Invest regularly/systematically 

5. Buy at a reasonable price

6. Understand asset cycles and invest suitably

7. Invest in good historical performance with good future growth prospects

8. Sell only when you need money

9. Sell if underlying asset is not value generating

10. Hold irrespective of the price if asset is good

This is applicable across all types of investments - land, gold, financial assets, rare collections etc. 

I felt a generic write-up on investing would be useful to readers, as everyone is unique in deciding about their money and may not find it pertinent if it is discussed with specifics. As discussed here, it is essential for everyone to learn about money and on how to put it to best use; I hope this post helped a bit in that regard.

Vignesh Nagappan