Is Veerasoliyam a Practical Grammar?

வீரசோழியம் ஒரு பயிற்றுமுறை இலக்கணமா?

Abstract

Veerasoliyam is a work that appeared a thousand years after the emergence of Tolkappiyam. It deserves a special place in the history of Tamil grammar. It is the first work to emerge in the five-grammar tradition. A grammar written in a particular period should explain the linguistic structure of that time and give importance to the changes that have occurred in the language over time. Keeping these ideas in mind, Buddhamittranar has created this as an excellent grammatical treasury that could explain the linguistic usage of that time. The special characteristics of Veerasoliyam can be said to be: adopting Sanskrit grammatical theories and technical terms, understanding the practices that came from Sanskrit and other languages, formulating grammar by understanding the growth and changes that occurred in Tamil after Tolkappiyar, and creating grammar in new methods different from Tamil grammatical traditions. Moreover, Veerasoliyam was structured as a practical grammar of that time. Throughout the work, many educational concepts are found here and there. This article examines whether Veerasoliyam was a practical grammar during the time of its emergence or not.