தமிழ் மொழியும், சமூக உருவாக்கமும்

Tamil Language and Social Formation

Abstract

This article examines the socio-political dimensions of Tolkappiyar’s grammatical work and its role in Tamil linguistic and cultural identity formation. The study analyzes how Panambaranar’s geographical demarcation of Tamil-speaking regions from Venkatam to Kumari reflects the intrinsic relationship between language and territory, while exploring Tolkappiyar’s systematization of Tamil grammar and classification of landscapes into five tinai categories as politically motivated acts of linguistic standardization. As a Jain scholar entering Tamil-speaking territories, Tolkappiyar’s grammatical codification served both pedagogical and assimilative purposes, facilitating the teaching of Tamil to outsiders while establishing a framework for Tamil social organization. The article argues that Tolkappiyam’s geographical and linguistic categorizations represent early attempts at creating Tamil linguistic consciousness and social cohesion, with the standardization of diverse regional dialects functioning as a tool for Tamil social expansion and consolidation, demonstrating how grammatical works can serve broader socio-political objectives in transforming fragmented communities into a unified Tamil social identity.