Tamil Heritage (was Aryan invasion debate)

[Somayaji Rajagopala]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: nanda chandran [mailto:vpcnk at HOTMAIL.COM]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 1999 5:18 PM
> To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK
> Subject: Re: Aryan invasion debate
> If you can point out a *substantial* literary corpus which
> shows no Arya> connections and> points to an original individual identity 
of the Tamizh> people, it would be> more useful> for the discussion.

If Tamil has its roots in Sanskrit, then all Tamil(T) words should have some 
resemblance to the Sanskrit(S) words from which they are supposed to have 
originated, even in corrupted form. For instance dhAham(T)- 
-dhAha(S)----Mekam(T)---Mega(Sandesam-Kaalidaasa’ play)(S)----This is 
Brahminical Tamil. If  a Tamil word is not related to a Sanskrit word-both (T 
& S )having the same meaning- - to any stretch of imagination---even to the 
root{dhAtu(p)} of the Sanskrit word, then it should be agreed (without any 
murmur) that Tamil Genius has developed its own vocabulary without any 
support or influence of Sanskrit. Some examples are Kani(T) = 
Phalam(S)----Aani (T)=Jyesta(S)-(a month’s name)----Murugu(T) 
=Sundaram(S)----Aal(T)=Vata Vrksham(S)---- Arisi(T)=Thandulam----(Arisi has 
atleast  some commonality with Rice)----Nel(T)=Vree(S)----Paasi payaru(T) = 
Mudga(S)-----Moonru(T) =Treeni(S)---Treeni has commonality with English 
Three----Aezhu(T) =Sapta(S)--- has commonality with Septa--- These are all 
very common-day to day words—If they have any commonalities- even remotely- 
,please enlighten me. From literary Tamil more than 10,000 words can be 
cited. I have equal respect for Sanskrit also. If an ethnic group has evolved 
a sophisticated means of communication 
(language/letters/vocabulary/grammar/vast literature covering a wide spectrum 
)quite independent of another equally Elitist language over the same period 
of time—the former ethnic group should have the backing of a culture as old 
as that of the latter language’s cultural milieu. It should be agreed that 
both are independent cultural groups-developed a lot of commonalties-over a 
period of time due to Historical compulsions. Unity in Diversity.