Dravidian/Tamilian? (was Re: Etymon: paTTaN, pattan, patan)

[Paul Kekai Manansala]

 Jacob Baltuch <jacob.baltuch at EURONET.BE>
wrote:

> Incidentally is there a Dravidian term for Dravidian? Was the genetic link
> of the dravidian languages traditionally perceived by their speakers before
> Caldwell?
>

That would be impressive.  Even Sir William Jones, who was
responsible for connecting Sanskrit with European languages, argued
that the former had no relation to Hindi at all.  He also grouped
Tibetan and Austronesian with Indo-European. However, Malay was
classified as a Semitic language.  Other early linguists thought the
languages of the New Hebrides in Melanesia belonged to the Semitic
family.

Regards,
Paul Kekai Manansala