Today's Tamil word – 15th July 2020 – வடிவம்

Form/Shape - ரூபம் (Sanskrit)

Original Tamil word(s) - வடிவம்/உருவம்

Roop is the Hindi word for Shape. ரூபம் is the Tamilised version of that Sanskrit word.

The Tamil word வடிவு means shape and the word உரு means form or appearance. From these two door words come the Tamil words வடிவம், உருவம்.

Tamil God Murugan is given a name வடிவேலன், known for his beautiful appearance.

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Today's Tamil word – 14th July 2020 – சுத்திகரிப்பான்

Sanitiser - கிருமிநாசினி
Germ/Virus - கிருமி

Original Tamil words:
Sanitiser - சுத்திகரிப்பான்
Germ/Virus - நோய் நுண்மம்

The words ‘கிருமி’ and ‘நாசினி’ are both Sanskrit words which mean ‘germ’ and ‘that which destroys’, respectively. (நாசினி comes from the Sanskrit word நாசம்)

Since both these words are common in Tamil, the Tamil academicians and administration have used these words to give a Tamil name for Sanitiser.

But, originally Tamil had a word for this; in Tamil, cleansing/to clean is given by the word  சுத்திகரிப்பு (from the root word சுத்தம்). Using that word, a sanitiser can be given the Tamil word சுத்திகரிப்பான்.

Before the word கிருமி took over as the Tamil word for germ/virus, we used a word call நுண்மம் (that which is microscopic). So, Virus/Germs, in Tamil was called நோய் நுண்மம். The root word நுண் means tiny/minute/very small.

Unless our Tamil Nadu govt administration translates such new words using original Tamil words rather than by using commonly used Sanskriti words, there can’t be much hope for a revival in the purity of the Tamil language.

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Today's Tamil word – 13th July 2020 – துணிவு

Brave - தைரியம் (Dhairiyam from Sanskrit)

Original Tamil word - துணிவு

How often we say Dhairyam when we want to refer to someone’s bravery in Tamil. We don’t we use the original, simple and easy Tamil word ‘துணிவு’ hereafter?

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Today's Tamil word – 12th July 2020 – இயல்

Chapter - அதிகாரம் (Sanskrit)

Original Tamil words -
நூல்கூறுபாடு, இயல், பகுதி

We say Thirukkural has 133 அதிகாரம். Yet, the words அதிகாரம், காண்டம் are derived from Sanskrit.

By the time of Thirukkural itself, there had been quite a number of Sanskrit words that had come into the Tamil language. ஆதி, பகவன், குணம், தானம், தவம், தெய்வம், தேவர், மங்கலம், காலம், கருமம், ஆசை, காமம், நாமம், மந்திரி, குலம், குடும்பம் are some of the words which have been used in the Thirukkural which are not of Tamil origin.

There is also an argument that some parts of the Thirukkural we know of today, were not part of the original written by Valluvar. However, we don’t know how valid this argument is. Yet one thing is certain, the influence of Sanskrit over Tamil and the converse (albeit to a lesser extent) has been happening for over 2000 years.

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Today's Tamil word – 11th July 2020 – வாணிகம்

Business - வியாபாரம் (from Sanskrit)

Original Tamil word - வணிகம்/வாணிகம்

The common word for business used today வியாபாரம் comes from the Sanskrit/Hindi word Vyapar. The word for a businessman/businesswomen is from this word : Vyapari (வியாபாரி).

However, the bonafide Tamil word for business is வணிகம் and the people who do business are called வணிகர் (வணிகன் for male; வணிகையர் for female)

I am sharing a blog that talks about the history of Tamil வாணியர்; it tells us the various business folk present in the Tamil community during the ancient Sangam time.

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Today's Tamil word – 10th July 2020 – அறிஞர்

Scholar - பண்டிதர் (Sanskrit)

Original Tamil word - புலவர்/அறிஞர்

We often refer to a scholar as பண்டிதன் in Tamil, but the word is a Tamil version of the Sanskrit word Pandit.

Tamil has words like புலவர்/அறிஞர் to refer to a scholar. Over time, புலவர் has come to only mean scholarly practice in the field of literature/poetry.

The word அறிஞர், ofcourse, comes from the base word - அறிவு, which is knowledge. Tamil Nadu’s Former CM Annadurai, was popularly revered as அறிஞர் Anna, which I believe is one main reason why this word is still among the masses.

So, words which are out of practice can be put back into common use by popular/repeated usage over time. The word அறிஞர் is one prime example for that.

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Today's Tamil word – 9th July 2020 –ஈகை

Donate - தானம் (Sanskrit)

Original Tamil word - ஈகை, கொடை

In Avvaiyar’s Aathichudi, where she gives one-liner life lessons for each Tamil alphabet ஈ is given by “ஈவது விலக்கேல்”, which means ‘Do not stop or avoid charitable deeds’

The stand-alone Tamil letter ஈ by itself, means to donate. கொடை is also a word for being charitable; it comes from the word கொடு which is the verb for -to give. Its usage is famous in the great Tamil leader Paari being known as கொடை வள்ளல் (one of the seven great philanthropists of Tamilagam - கடை ஏழு வள்ளல்கள்)

Ofcourse, the words தானம், தர்மம் have come from the religious influences into Tamil. They have almost replaced the native Tamil words like ஈகை and கொடை now.

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