Modern linguists, following Pävanar's research methodology, are highlighting the resemblances between ancient Tamil words and those in various Indian languages, particularly North Indian languages once thought to be Indo-European. This inquiry raises a pivotal question: whether North Indian languages belong to the Indo-European or Dravidian family.
Greenberg and Merritt Ruhlen, American scholars, have published typological research findings, a guiding beacon in unraveling humanity's common basic vocabulary. By comparing basic word lists from global language families, they seek shared vocabulary dating back to the inception of human speech. A similar typological study could unveil a common birthplace for Tamil and the ancient Prakrit language, a precursor to North Indian languages, also known as Vada Tamil or Northern Tamil.
It's notable that even before the Aryan influx, North India was inhabited by proto- Dravidians, explaining the Tamil roots in place names, flora and fauna names. agricultural terms, basic vocabulary, verbs, and case markers in North Indian languages. Historian and linguist George Erdosy remarked, "All Indians once spoke Dravidian before adopting Indo-Aryan."
Max Müller and others, not delving deeply into the historical origins of North Indian languages, primarily noted Sanskrit nouns, concluding Indo-European affiliation. However, it's crucial to note that while languages may borrow nouns from others, verbs, case markers, and other grammatical features resist borrowing. In North Indian languages, these linguistic features have Tamil origins.
Dr. R. Madhivanan specializes in Tamil etymological studies and formerly served as the Chief Editor of the Tamil Etymological Dictionary project initiated by the Government of Tamil Nadu. He has authored four books on the decipherment of the Indus script, with his latest work titled "Indus Script among Dravidian Speakers" published in 1995.
Madhivanan's approach to deciphering the Indus script is based on several fundamental principles. He posits that the Indus civilization originated in Kumari Kandam, an ancient Tamil land, and that the people inhabiting the Indus Valley were Tamils. He also asserts that the language of the Indus civilization was Tamil. Madhivanan suggests that the Indus script is syllabic and written from left to right, similar to the Tamil script. He applies the grammatical rules of Tolkäppiyam to the Indus language.
I am thankful to the authorities of the Central Institute of Classical Tamil, Chennai for having sanctioned a one-year project (2012 2013) under the title "Presence of Ancient Tamil Words in Other Indian Languages".
North Indian languages are classified as Indo-European and South Indian languages as Dravidian languages. William Jones and Max Müller have established the close relationship of Sanskrit with the European languages. Ellis (1816) and Robert Caldwell have proved the close relationship of South Dravidian, Central Dravidian and North Dravidian languages and they have further established that Tamil and Dravidian family languages owe nothing to Sanskrit.
But modern linguists and others who follow Pavanar's methodology of research are throwing light on similarities of basic ancient Tamil words in all the other Indian languages, preferably North Indian languages hitherto believed to belong to Indo-European languages.
Their work has raised a new question: Do the North Indian languages belong to Indo European family or to the Dravidian family. Greenberg and Merritt Ruhlen of the USA have published their research findings on typological research which is believed to be a guiding star to trace the basic common vocabulary of the Mother tongue of mankind. They compared the list of basic words in all language families of the world to find out the shared vocabulary from the days of the emergence of the first human speech.
The Government of India established Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT) in Chennai. It has been functioning as an autonomous Institution. The main objective of this institute is to promote and safeguard the uniqueness of Classical Tamil by encouraging further studies. The literary works of the Sangam Age are considered to be the treasure trove not only of Tamil Nadu but also of the whole nation, since they are unsurpassed in world literature.
Tamil Classical language stresses the oneness of mankind and paves way for national integration. Sangam Tamil poet Kaniyan Poonkundran proclaimed "Every town is my town and all men are my kith and kin".
Keeping in mind the observations of many scholars that the Indus Civilization is of Dravidian origin, Dr. R. Madhivanan selected the subject "Presence of Ancient Tamil words in other Indian Languages" for his project work announced by CICT (2012-2013). He has satisfactorily compleated the project work assigned to him.
He has followed a novel method of collecting typological basic terms of similar words with similar meanings irrespective of derivational changes at the morphological level but retaining the same semantic content. This type of methodology has already been followed by Greenberg and Merritt Ruhlen in the USA.
The best found in classical Tamil need to be shared by all, in our uni-cultural India. It is with this expectation that CICT brings out this book to the limelight.
Let us hope the present generation of scholars, historians and linguists of comparative and historical linguistics will evince keen interest in this attempt of strengthening national integration.
A Similar typological study will pave the way to trace a common birthplace of Tamil and the old Prakrit language which was the mother of all the North Indian languages otherwise known as Vada Tamil Northern Tamil. It is to be noted here that even before the advent of the Aryans, North India was populated by proto-Dravidians. That is why the place names, names of flora and fauna, agricultural terms, basic words, verbs and case markers in North Indian Languages happen to be Tamil.
Classical Tamil is the fundamental and core fountainhead of the family of Dravidian languages. Similarities are quite common in a language family. But its ramification and impact on other Indian languages need a special study. Such a study paves way for a novel research in typology which will open vistas to track the journey of words trespassing the geographical and historical boundaries. Further, the chronological fixation of typologies will throw light on the puzzle.
Generally, it is a hidden fact that the geographical distribution of basic words will denote the geographical distribution of people. Another hidden fact is that verbs, case markers and basic grammatical features are never borrowed from one language family to another language family. Inter-family borrowings or loan words invariably happen to be only nouns. They come under the category of borrowed vocabulary.
In spite of the above fact, if verbs, case markers and other grammatical features are found in other language families, (so-called Indo Aryan languages like North Indian languages), such a geographical distribution of words comes under the category of carried vocabulary. This study begins from a very remote common parentage and such a study needs to be renamed language Archaeology.
That is why R.C. Trench in his elegant lecture on the study of words observed, "Language is fossil poetry and fossil history as well, language is the amber in which a thousand precious and subtle thoughts have been safely embedded and preserved. Far beyond all written records, the language stretches back and offers itself for our investigation. Language is never false, never deceives us". Language is made up of words. All words have their root in the mother tongue of mankind. This connectivity cannot be ruled out. Max Müller has rightly observed, "It was quite clear that though we might trace new out of old words, no man can ever frame at his own pleasure a word entirely new.
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