Why is Tamil written as thamizh?
In fact, the correct pronunciation of “Tamil” sounds like “Tamizh” for which there is no phonetic equivalent in most other languages. “Tamil has 12 vowels and 18 consonants. The ‘l’ in the word ‘Tamil’ is pronounced like a retroflex ‘r’, though it is often transliterated as “zh”.”
Which language is Malayalam similar to?
It belongs to the Southern branch of the Dravidian language family. Although closely related to Tamil, Malayalam is more influenced by Sanskrit than Tamil. Scholars believe that the common ancestor of Tamil and Malayalam split in the 9th century AD, giving rise to Malayalam as a language distinct from Tamil.
Do all malayalis know Tamil?
No, All malayalis do not understand Tamil. there are malayalis outside Kerala, who cannot understand even Malayalam properly.
How do Malayalam speakers pronounce “Zha”?
Maybe in some part they substitute “Zha” with “Ya” ( യ ) , but majority of the Malayalam speakers correctly pronounce “Zha” ( this is because there are a wide variety of accents in Malayalam in different districts.)
How many letters are there in the Tamil alphabet?
In total there are 247 letters in Tamil alphabet. In these 247 letters ‘Zha’ is the most significant, because of its usage and pronunciation. Many people will not pronounce the letter ‘Zha’ properly. There are two letters with same sound as ‘Zha’ (la, lla), so it is necessary to recognize the letter ‘Zha’.
What is the phonology of the Tamil language?
The sounds /f/ and /§/ are peripheral to the phonology of Tamil, being found only in loanwords and frequently replaced by native sounds. There are well-defined rules for elision in Tamil, categorised into different classes based on the phoneme which undergoes elision. Classical Tamil also had a phoneme called the A¯ytam.
What is the nearest form of ழ in Tamil?
When sanskritisation of Tamil in Cheranadu, ழ vanished in letter. However Kozhikode,Malampuzha,Alapuzha in many places contain ழ. Kannada,Telugu people are also claiming it in old version. Basic Tamil now called proto dravidian had a common phonetic form. Due nonavailability of that letter it may take the nearest form.