தொல்காப்பியம்
Tholkappium – The Ancient Text
எழுத்ததிகாரம்
Ezhuththathikaaram – Volume on Letters
Ezhuththathikaaram
consists of nine Chapters. They are
1. நூல் மரபு Nool
Marabu [The Tradition of
Letters]
2. மொழி மரபு Mozhi
Marabu [The Tradition of words.
‘Mozhi’ refers to words and not always ‘language.’]
3. பிறப்பு இயல் Pirappu Eyal [The Chapter on origin of sounds from the human
body]
4. புணர் இயல் Punar
Eyal [The Chapter on assimilation of letters]
5. தொகை இயல் Thogai
Marabu [The Tradition of
discussing missed matters in the earlier chapters]
6. உருபு இயல் Urubu
Eyal [The Chapter on declension]
7. உயிர் மயங்கு இயல் Uyir
Mayangu Eyal [The Chapter
on assimilation of vowels with vowels]
8. புள்ளி மயங்கு இயல் Pulli
Mayangu Eyal [The Chapter
on assimilation of consonants with consonants]
9. குற்றியலுகர புணர் இயல் Kutriyalukara
Punar Eyal [The Chapter on shortened
‘u’ assimilation with other words]
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Chapter I
நூல் மரபு
Nool Marabu – The Tradition of the Letters
‘Nool’ normally
refers to a book. But here it does not refer to the tradition of the book;
instead it refers to the tradition of letters.
1. முதல் எழுத்துக்கள்
எழுத்தெனப்படுப் படுப
அகர முதல னகர விறுவாய்
முப்பஃ தென்ப
சார்ந்து வரல் மரபின் மூன்றாய் கடையே
Muthal Ezhuththukkal – The First Letters
Ezhuththenap
paduba
Akara mudhala nakara viruvaai
Muppa thenba
Saarnthu viral marabin muunrang kadaiyee
Letters are those beginning from
‘a’ to ‘n’ in the end
They are thirty in number, it is said
Without the three ‘associate’ ones.
Commentary
Tamil letters are divided into two
types: Uyir [life] and Mei [body]. Uyir consists of twelve letters and Mei
consists of eighteen letters. There are three Sarbu [associate] letters.
The translation of ‘Uyir’ as ‘Life’ is a
controversy. The word can also be translated as the spirit which lives in a
body.
Tholkappiar uses a detached, scholarly
tone throughout his treatise on Tamil grammar. He never claims to have ‘found’
out the rules. The rules have been in existence for a long time and hence he
says ‘Muppa thenba’ or ‘muppathu enba’ that is, ‘it is said thirty.’ There no
autocratic finality in his tone and we note a high sense of objectivity,
scientific precision and a consciousness that keeps a high alert on claims. He
does not want to prescribe rules, instead points out mildly ‘this is what has
been practiced’ by the deft reference to scholars or social practices.
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2.
சார்பு எழுத்துக்கள்
அவை தாம்
குற்றிய லிகரம் குற்றிய லுகரம்
ஆய்தம் என்ற
முப்பால் புள்ளியும் எழுத்து ஓர் அன்ன
அவை யாவையெனில்
குறுகிய இகரம், குறுகிய உகரம்
மூன்று புள்ளி ஆய்தம்
குறுகிய இகர உகரங்களும்
வரி வடிவத்தையே பெறும்
Saarbu Ezhuththukkal – Associate Letters
Avai thaam
Kutriya likaram, kutriya lukaram
Aaytham entra
Muppaal pulliyum ezhuththu oor annae
The associate letters are:
Shortened ‘e’ sound
Shortened ‘u’ sound
Three pointed aaidham
Shortened ‘e’ and ‘u’
And normal ‘e’ and ‘u.’
These have the same form
Commentary
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3. குறில் எழுத்துக்கள்
அவற்றுள்
அ இ உ
எ ஒ வென்னு மப்பா லைந்தும்
ஓர் அளபு இசைக்கும் குற்றெழுத்தென்ப
உயிர் எழுத்துக்களில்
அ, இ, உ, எ, ஒ என்னும் ஐந்து எழுத்துக்களும்
ஒரு மாத்திரை அளவு ஒலிக்கும்
குற்று [குறில்] எழுத்துக்கள் எனப்படும்.
Kuril Ezhuththukkal – The Shortened
Letters
Avatrul
‘a’
‘i’ ‘u’
‘e’ ‘o’ ennum appaal ainthum
Oor alabu isaikkum kutrezhuththenpa
In uyir letters
‘a’
‘i’ ‘u’
‘e’ ‘o’
the five
Sound for a second
Called kuril letters
Commentary
In uyir letters we have five letters -
‘a’ ‘i’
‘u’ ‘e’ and ‘o.’ These letters have short sounds that are
expressed each in a second. They are referred to as Kuril.
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4. நெடில் எழுத்துக்கள்
ஆ ஈ ஊ
ஏ ஐ
ஓ ஔ என்னும் அப்பால் ஏழும்
ஈரளபு இசைக்கும் நெட்டெழுத்தென்ப
ஆ, ஈ, ஊ, ஏ, ஐ, ஓ, ஔ என்னும்
ஏழு எழுத்துக்களும் இரு மாத்திரையளவு
ஒலிக்கும் நெடில் எழுத்துக்கள் ஆகும்
Nedil Ezhuththukkal – The Long Letters
Aa
eii uu
Eaa ai
Oo au ennum appaal eazhum
Eeiralabu eisaikkum nettezhuththenba.
‘a’ ‘i’ ‘u’ ‘e’ ‘ai’ ‘o’ ‘au’
These seven letters
Sound for two seconds each
They are Nedil [long] letters.
Commentary
The seven long letters - ‘a’ ‘i’ ‘u’ ‘e’
‘ai’ ‘o’ ‘au’ – are pronounced by an extension of sound. Each letter uses 2
sounds. Hence they are called long letters or Nedil.
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5. Nedil Ezhuththukkal – The Long
Letters
moo alabu
esaiththal oor ezhuththu entreai.
Single letters do not sound for three
seconds.
Commentary
In Tamil, a single letter should not be
sounded longer than 2 seconds.
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6. Nedil Ezhuththukkal – The Long
Letters
Neettam veandin av alabu udaiya
Kooty ezhuuuthal enmanaar pulavar.
If length is wanted the same measured
sounds
To be added to writing the scholars say.
Commentary
Interestingly, Tholkappiar has composed
this verse carefully as it carries the example for a lengthened letter
‘u.’ The word
‘ezhuuuthal’ has a long sound – ‘zhuu’ and to add on he brings another
vowel here – ‘u’ and ‘ezhuuthal’ becomes ‘ezhuuuthal.’ Now the letters sound for three seconds: ‘zh’ + ‘uu’ + ‘u’ and in Tamil it becomes one
letter – ‘zhuuu.’
Giving examples for theory within the
verse is an effective strategy he uses throughout this structural discourse.
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7. Maaththirai – Measure of sound
Kan
emai nodi ena avvae maaththirai
Nunni thin unarnthoor kanda aarae.
Eyelashes blinking, fingers clicking
time
Is referred to as ‘mathirai’
So say the learned scholars of yore.
Commentary
‘Maathirai’ is
a word related to another word called ‘mathiram’ meaning ‘measure.’ Tamil
scholars traditionally have measured sounds and have given a physical representation
of batting of eyelids and clicking of fingers to explain the organization of
sound structures.
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8. Uyir ezhuththukkal – Vowel Letters
Au kaara iruvaai
Pan iir ezhuththum uyir ena mozhiba.
It is said
letters till
‘au’ are the
12 Uyir [vowels] letters.
Commentary
‘Tamil vowel letters
are: a, ‘a’, ‘i’, ‘ii’, ‘u’, ‘uu’, ‘e’, ‘ee’, ‘ai’, ‘o’, ‘oo’ and ‘au’.
In Tamil language, letters are classified into ‘life’ and ‘body’ separately
called ‘uyir’ and ‘mei.’ These two forms if joined together become ‘uyirmei’ or
human being. When life breath centres a body it comes alive. Similarly, when
‘uyir’ enters ‘mei’ sounds come alive and language becomes dynamic.
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9.
Mei ezhuththukkal – Consonants
Na kaara iruvaai
Pathinen ezhuththum mei ena mozhiba.
It is said
letters till
‘na’ are
the 18 mei [consonants]
letters.
Commentary
These 18 letters cannot function on their own.
If body is without life breath, it
cannot function. Similarly, these letters cannot function without uyir
letters. But, rarely, ‘uyir’ letters can function on their own. At such
instances, they are called single letter words.
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10. meiyyoodu
eyaiyinum uyir eyal thiriyaa
Though ‘Uyir’ joins ‘Mei’, the quality of ‘Mei’
sounds do not change.
Commentary
Though the soul reaches a different
body, the soul retains its quality. According to the quality of the soul, the
body functions. Similarly, according to the ‘Uyir’ letter, the ‘Mei’ letters function.
Even if they are re-separated, their original qualities remain the same.
க்
[Mei] + அ [Uyir] = க [Uyirmei]
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11. meiyin alabe aria ena moliba
மெய்யின் அளபே அரை என மொழிப
They say
The ‘mei’
letters sound
Half a
second
Commentary
‘Mei’ refers to body. The dotted letters
cannot function independently. They can function only if combined with uyir letters.
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12. avviyal nilaiyum anai moontre
The other three associate letters sound
half a second in this way.
Commentary
Kuttriyaligaram
[short
‘i’ sounds], Kuttriyaugaram [short ‘u’ sounds] and Aitham
[the associate letter] are referred to as the ‘other three’ here. Naturally,
‘e’ and ‘u’ have the sound for one mathirai. But, when they sound less long, they become
half a mathirai. Like ‘mei’ letters the ‘aidham’ is also of
half mathirai.
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14. Aria alabu kurugal magaram udaithe
Isai edan arugum theriyum kalai.
The ‘mei’ letter ‘m’ shortens its sound
from half to quarter mathirai. Thia
is called magara kurukkam. This
change happens only when it
combines with another sound,
which is quite rare. Example: poonm, varum vannakkan. [Kurrukam
means shortening].
Commentary
Ponm:
The
word ‘polum’ loses its ‘u’ in ‘lu’. It becomes ‘polm’. The sounds ‘l’ and ‘m’ combine and produce
‘n’. It is now ‘ponm’. Now ‘ponm’
undergoes one more change. The sound ‘m’
loses half mathirai. Hence ‘ponm’ an example of
magara kurukkam in an independent word.
Varum vannakkan: The last sound in the first word [it is
called as the static word or nilai mozhi]
in this phrase loses half of its mathirai.
That is, ‘m’ loses half of its sound
when it combines with ‘v’ in the next word. The specialty of this magara kurukkam is that it happens only if the next word
begins with ‘v’ sound [it is called the
coming word or varu mozhi].
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எழுத்துக்களின் வரி வடிவம்
The
written structure of letters
14. உள் பெறு புள்ளி உருவாகும்மே
Ul peru pulli
uruvaakumme
This
verse discusses the general principle for ‘mei’ letters. It describes the differences between ‘p’ and
‘m’.
Commentary
At the time of Tholkappiar the ‘mei’ letter ‘m’ did not have a separate form. It
was written with one more dot inside the letter ‘p’. he introduces the additional dot on the
letter ‘p’ that in course of time extended into a line and became the dotted
‘m’.
This verse and the next one define the
physical features of mei letters.
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15. மெய்யின் இயற்கை புள்ளியொடு நிலையல்
Meiyin eyarkai pulliyodu nilaiyal
The nature of mei letters is to have a dot
on the top.
Commentary
Now a days we put a
dot on all the 18 mei
letters after the reforms brought by Tholkappiar. He defines the ‘dot’ as the special feature
of mei letters. Thus Tholkappiar differentiates between mei letters and uyir mei letters in their structures.
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16. எகர ஒகரத்து இயற்கையும் அற்றே
Ekara
okarathu eyarkaiyum atrea
The short [kuril]
uyir letters like ‘e’ and ‘o’ will have
dots on top, says Tholkappiar.
Commentary
During his period, the
short and long uyir letters were
written in the same manner. To denote the difference, he suggests that we add
the dot to all the short uyir
letters. Thus these short letters will be differentiated from long letters, he
argues.
The current elongated
lines that are used in the long letters [ex: அ - ஆ, எ – ஏ, ஒ - ஓ] were introduced by
Veera Mamunivar.
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17.
புள்ளி இல்லா எல்லா மெய்யும்
உருவு உருவு ஆகி அகரமொடு உயிர்த்தலும்
ஏனை உயிரொடு உருவு திரிந்து உயிர்த்தலும்
ஆ ஈர் இயல் உயிர்த்தல் ஆறே
Pulli yillaa ellaa meiyum
Urvu uruvu aki akaromodu uyirthalum
Enai uyirodu uruvu thirunthu uyirthalum
Aa yiir yiyal uyirthal aaRe
This verse defines the forming of uyir mei letters. The mei letters that have been removed of
their dots join uyir letters and give birth to uyir mei sounds. This is the
concept of punarchi’. It means
‘merging.’
Commentary
Nachinaarkiniyanar says that when mei and uyir merge each loses half of its sound [ mathirai] and creates uyir mei. Example: mei+ uyir=
uyir mei: k + a = ka [க் + அ = க].
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18. மெய்யின் வழிய உயிர் தோன்று நிலையே
Meiyin
valiya uyir thoonRu nilaiyae
Commentary
This verse describes the position of mei letters in uyirmei letters. It says mei letters originate first and hence
they have to be placed first. When we split uyirmei,
we naturally keep mei at first.
Example: k
+ a = ka
[க் + அ = க]
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19. வல்லெழுத் தென்ப கசட தபற
Vallezhu
thenba kasada thabaRa
The
six consonants ‘k, s, d, th, p, R’ are referred to as ‘vallinam’ – the
strong group.
Commentary
This verse explains the Tamil
consonants. They are first explained as Tamil language is dominated by these
strong sounds. Their sounds are strong, and they are born from the depth of the
stomach reaching out to the strong part of the body – the head. Among these letters
‘k, s d th’ are the most used consonants in the language.
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20. மெய்யெழுத் தென்ப ங ஞ ண ந ம ன
Meiyezhuth
enba nga nja Na ma na
The six soft sounds ‘ng, nj, N, n, m, n’ are referred to as ‘mellinam’ – the
soft group.
Commentary
These sounds have soft sounds. The wind
that produces these sounds come through the nose. Next to the strong sounds
these sounds are mostly used in Tamil language. Hence Tholkappiar defines them
next to the strong sounds.
Nachinaarkiniyanaar refuses to accept
that sounds do not have a shape. If sounds do not have a shape or structure,
they can exist on ‘nothing’. Instead they are born or created from the head,
neck, chest. The wind that starts from these places dashes on the parts of the
mouth like lips, teeth, tongue, nose and soft palate. Sounds are born in this
clash. Hence he argues that sounds have a physical structure.
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22. இடை எழுத்தென்ப ய ர ல வ ழ ள
Yidai
ezhuth thenba ya, ra, la, va, zha, La
This verse defines the category of letters that have sounds that are neither too
harsh nor too soft.
Commentary
The six medium sounds ‘y, r, l, v, zh,
L’ are referred to as ‘yidaiyinam’ – the medium sounds.
These sounds are born from the part of
the body that separates the head from the body – the neck.
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22. அம் மூ வாறும் வழங்கியல் மருங்கின்
மெய் மயங்கு உடன் நிலை தெரியும் காலை
Am
moovaaRum vazhangiyal marungin
Mei
mayangu udan nilai thorium kaalai
This verse explains how two mei sounds join. It also explains how
they join, the rationale of the merging, the method of merging, and its
classification and name.
All the 18 mei letters become words. During the process they undergo two
changes or assimilation. Hence it is referred to as consonant
assimilation. Tholkappiar identifies two
types of consonant assimilation. They are: mei
nilai mayakkam and udan nilai
mayakkam.
It is possible that such assimilations
take place: 1. when two uyir
sounds merge; 2. When two mei sounds merge; 3. When two uyirmei sounds merge.
Assimilation of sounds is referred to as
‘saiyogam’ in Sanskrit.
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