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Tamil
[ tam-uhl, tuhm-, tah-muhl ]
noun
- a member of a Dravidian people of southern India and Sri Lanka.
- the Dravidian language of the Tamils, spoken in India principally in Tamil Nadu state and in Sri Lanka on the northern and eastern coasts.
adjective
- of or relating to the Tamils or their language.
Tamil
/ ˈtæmɪl /
noun
- -ils-il a member of a mixed Dravidian and Caucasoid people of S India and Sri Lanka
- the language of this people: the state language of Tamil Nadu, also spoken in Sri Lanka and elsewhere, belonging to the Dravidian family of languages
adjective
- of or relating to this people or their language
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Example Sentences
At a time when India is dealing with a deadly second wave of Covid-19, a businessman from the southern state of Tamil Nadu booked a chartered flight for two hours to tie the knot mid-air and avoid gathering restrictions.
Among them is Nawaj Sharif, 19, from West Bengal’s Malda town, who used to work as a tailor in the textile hub of Tirupur in Tamil Nadu.
Consider the amount of revenue the state of Tamil Nadu receives via sand mining, an industry estimated to generate nearly $3 billion a year.
For the first time, a Tamil poet will be able to tap her followers worldwide to launch a new collection.
Shankar comes from a traditional family of Devanga weavers in Villupuram, a district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
Prabhakaran had come to personify the movement, and his end, so wretched, became the emblem of Tamil defeat and Sinhalese triumph.
The former Tamil bastions in the north and east continue to be exposed to arbitrary violence by Sri Lankan authorities.
Earlier this year, I spoke to a Sri Lankan lawyer who has helped Tamil families flee the island.
Months after the Kumbakonam tragedy, a far greater one slammed into the Tamil Nadu coast: the tsunami of December 2004.
Following the Kumbakonam deaths, the Tamil Nadu government banned thatched roofs, and the schools were now building concrete ones.
Will ye present your belts and weapons to the Great Tamil as a peace offering?
The Great Tamil would know why ye dared to land upon his sacred shores?
"The Great Tamil commands his prisoners to appear before him again," he cried.
The words had scarcely passed his lips when Denviers rushed forward and snatched the mask from the Tamil sitting there!
She was extremely intelligent, and spoke Tamil such as one reads in books set for examination.
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More About Tamil
What does Tamil mean?
Tamil is the name for a person of a Dravidian culture group that is located primarily in Southern India and northeastern Sri Lanka.
Tamil is also the name of the language spoken by Tamils.
Tamils, like all Dravidian peoples, are aboriginal to Southern India and Sri Lanka. That is, Dravidian peoples are the earliest known inhabitants of that geographic area.
Today, most of the world’s Tamils live in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and northern part of the country of Sri Lanka, although many Tamils live around the world.
Why is Tamil important?
The majority of Tamils live in what is now Tamil Nadu, an Indian state that has throughout history been ruled by various dynasties, chieftains, kings, the British, and finally the modern country of India. The second largest group of Tamils live in nearby Sri Lanka, who are divided between the Tamils who traveled there many centuries ago and the Tamils who arrived more recently as British plantation laborers.
Tamil history goes back over 2,000 years. For all that time, the Tamil people have retained their cultural identity and still mostly live in the same geographic area they always have.
This can be seen in Tamil art and architecture, which is often elaborate and impressive. Art of the Tamils was closely linked to the dynasties that ruled over them and changed as one group ceded power to another. Tamil political leaders wanted to demonstrate their power and wealth, so they spent a lot of money building magnificent temples and funding artists and musicians.
Tamil folk music and dance is another important aspect of their culture and is prominent during their many harvest festivals.
Did you know ... ?
The Tamil language is the oldest literary Dravidian language, with the first written records coming from around the year 100, meaning the spoken language could even be much older. Today, Tamil is among the most widely spoken languages in the world.
What are real-life examples of Tamil?
This video shows an Indian newscast about the Tamil Pongal festival:
<iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GzLeAjCFwDQ" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Tamils are very proud of their culture and heritage.
Today morning breakfast date with a friend in Saravana Bhavan. Introducing Tamil food to non Tamilians and they enjoying it is so satisfying :)
— پربھا ਪ੍ਰਬਾ #VoteForDMKAlliance (@deepsealioness) September 5, 2018
RT if you're missing the continuous flow of new Tamil music.
— Siddarth Srinivas (@sidhuwrites) April 24, 2020
What other words are related to Tamil?
Quiz yourself!
Tamil is the name of group of people who mostly live in:
A. Southern China
B. Northern Singapore
C. Southern India
D. Malaysia
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