Learn Tamil in 30 Days (or something like that)

by Michael S. Kaplan, published on 2008/02/26 10:16 -05:00, original URI: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/michkap/archive/2008/02/26/7898303.aspx


So while I was in India, I picked up a bunch of books (my suitcase was probably 30 pounds heavier!).

One book that hardly weighed anything at all was a small one titled Learn Tamil in 30 Days by N. Jegtheesh, B.A., part of the National Integration Language Series.

No, it wasn't that I was necessarily looking to learn Tamil in 30 days or anything like that.

And although the different logic it had for character counts than others had been talking to lately was intereting, that isn't what closed the sale, either.

I was mainly interested in seeing how a native speaker of Tamil would have explained the language to someone else.

Plus there was a big table spanning several pages that just caught my eye. I have mostly reproduced it here (though swapping the "X" and "Y" axes).You can note the different transliterations for letters that are used -- I'd say it would provide some hints for this post, though not as many as I might have liked since it has everything as uppercase.

(The most annoying part of this table was how much crap Word added to it, even when I saved it as filtered HTML. I guess the un prefix in that word filtered is silent in Microsoft Word? Though luckily my version of the filtered file is about 20% of the size yet looks identical!)


AKH


A


AA


E


EE


U


OO


Ā


AE


I


O


OH


OU


AKH

க்
K


KA

கா
KAA

கி
KE

கீ
KEE

கு
KU

கூ
KOO

கெ
K
Ā

கே
KAE

கை
KAI

கொ
KO

கோ
KOH

கௌ
KOU

க்
K

ங்
NG


NGA

ஙா
NGAA

ஙி
NGE

ஙீ
NGEE

ஙு
NGU

ஙூ
NGOO

ஙெ
NG
Ā

ஙே
NGAE

ஙை
NGAI

ஙொ
NGO

ஙோ
NGOH

ஙௌ
NGOU

ங்
NG

ச்
CH


CHA

சா
CHAA

சி
CHE

சீ
CHEE

சு
CHU

சூ
CHOO

செ
CH
Ā

சே
CHAE

சை
CHAI

சொ
CHO

சோ
CHOH

சௌ
CHOU

ச்
CH

ஞ்
GN


GNA

ஞா
GNAA

ஞி
GNE

ஞீ
GNEE

ஞு
GNU

ஞூ
GNOO

ஞெ
GN
Ā

ஞே
GNAE

ஞை
GNAI

ஞொ
GNO

ஞோ
GNOH

ஞௌ
GNOU

ஞ்
GN

ட்
D


DA

டா
DAA

டி
DE

டீ
DEE

டு
DU

டூ
DOO

டெ
D
Ā

டே
DAE

டை
DAI

டொ
DO

டோ
DOH

டௌ
DOU

ட்
D

ண்
NN


NNA

ணா
NNAA

ணி
NNE

ணீ
NNEE

ணு
NNU

ணூ
NNOO

ணெ
NN
Ā

ணே
NNAE

ணை
NNAI

ணொ
NNO

ணோ
NNOH

ணௌ
NNOU

ண்
NN

த்
TH


THA

தா
THAA

தி
THE

தீ
THEE

து
THU

தூ
THOO

தெ
TH
Ā

தே
THAE

தை
THAI

தொ
THO

தோ
THOH

தௌ
THOU

த்
TH

ந்
N


NA

நா
NAA

நி
NE

நீ
NEE

நு
NU

நூ
NOO

நெ
N
Ā

நே
NAE

நை
NAI

நொ
NO

நோ
NOH

நௌ
NOU

ந்
N

ப்
P


PA

பா
PAA

பி
PE

பீ
PEE

பு
PU

பூ
POO

பெ
P
Ā

பே
PAE

பை
PAI

பொ
PO

போ
POH

பௌ
POU

ப்
P

ம்
M


MA

மா
MAA

மி
ME

மீ
MEE

மு
MU

மூ
MOO

மெ
M
Ā

மே
MAE

மை
MAI

மொ
MO

மோ
MOH

மௌ
MOU

ம்
M

ய்
Y


YA

யா
YAA

யி
YE

யீ
YEE

யு
YU

யூ
YOO

யெ
Y
Ā

யே
YAE

யை
YAI

யொ
YO

யோ
YOH

யௌ
YOU

ய்
Y

ர்
R


RA

ரா
RAA

ரி
RE

ரீ
REE

ரு
RU

ரூ
ROO

ரெ
R
Ā

ரே
RAE

ரை
RAI

ரொ
RO

ரோ
ROH

ரௌ
ROU

ர்
R

ல்
L


LA

லா
LAA

லி
LE

லீ
LEE

லு
LU

லூ
LOO

லெ
L
Ā

லே
LAE

லை
LAI

லொ
LO

லோ
LOH

லௌ
LOU

ல்
L

வ்
V


VA

வா
VAA

வி
VE

வீ
VEE

வு
VU

வூ
VOO

வெ
V
Ā

வே
VAE

வை
VAI

வொ
VO

வோ
VOH

வௌ
VOU

வ்
V

ழ்
ZH


ZHA

ழா
ZHAA

ழி
ZHE

ழீ
ZHEE

ழு
ZHU

ழூ
ZHOO

ழெ
ZH
Ā

ழே
ZHAE

ழை
ZHAI

ழொ
ZHO

ழோ
ZHOH

ழௌ
ZHOU

ழ்
ZH

ள்
LL


LLA

ளா
LLAA

ளி
LLE

ளீ
LLEE

ளு
LLU

ளூ
LLOO

ளெ
LL
Ā

ளே
LLAE

ளை
LLAI

ளொ
LLO

ளோ
LLOH

ளௌ
LLOU

ள்
LL

ற்
RR


RRA

றா
RRAA

றி
RRE

றீ
RREE

று
RRU

றூ
RROO

றெ
RR
Ā

றே
RRAE

றை
RRAI

றொ
RRO

றோ
RROH

றௌ
RROU

ற்
RR

ன்
N


NA

னா
NAA

னி
NR

னீ
NEE

னு
NU

னூ
NOO

னெ
N
Ā

னே
NAE

னை
NAI

னொ
NO

னோ
NOH

னௌ
NOU

ன்
N


AKH


A


AA


E


EE


U


OO


Ā


AE


I


O


OH


OU


AKH

Anyway, I just thought I'd share it with all of you.

Note how it puts two N entries in there (in Unicode the first one is (U+0ba9, TAMIL LETTER NNNA) and the second one is (U+0ba8, TAMIL LETTER NA). But beyond that, several of the transliterations do seem quite odd to me, as used to the character names as I am....

Some others letters are listed after these ones (like the ones used in Tamil Grantha, etc).

Let's try it again with some Unicode code points in it, just for grins:


AKH
0B83


A
0B85


AA
0B86


E
0B87


EE
0B88


U
0B89


OO
0B8A


Ā
0B8E


AE
0B8F


I
0B90


O
0B92


OH
0B93


OU
0B94


AKH
0B83

க்
K
0B95 0BCD


KA
0B95

கா
KAA
0B95 0BBE

கி
KE
0B95 0BBF

கீ
KEE
0B95 0BC0

கு
KU
0B95 0BC1

கூ
KOO
0B95 0BC2

கெ
K
Ā
0B95 0BC6

கே
KAE
0B95 0BC7

கை
KAI
0B95 0BC8

கொ
KO
0B95 0BCA

கோ
KOH
0B95 0BCB

கௌ
KOU
0B95 0BCC

க்
K
0B95 0BCD

ங்
NG
0B99 0BCD


NGA
0B99

ஙா
NGAA
0B99 0BBE

ஙி
NGE
0B99 0BBF

ஙீ
NGEE
0B99 0BC0

ஙு
NGU
0B99 0BC1

ஙூ
NGOO
0B99 0BC2

ஙெ
NG
Ā
0B99 0BC6

ஙே
NGAE
0B99 0BC7

ஙை
NGAI
0B99 0BC8

ஙொ
NGO
0B99 0BCA

ஙோ
NGOH
0B99 0BCB

ஙௌ
NGOU
0B99 0BCC

ங்
NG
0B99 0BCD

ச்
CH
0B9A 0BCD


CHA
0B9A

சா
CHAA
0BBE

சி
CHE
0B9A 0BBF

சீ
CHEE
0B9A 0BC0

சு
CHU
0B9A 0BC1

சூ
CHOO
0B9A 0BC2

செ
CH
Ā
0B9A 0BC6

சே
CHAE
0B9A 0BC7

சை
CHAI
0B9A 0BC8

சொ
CHO
0B9A 0BCA

சோ
CHOH
0B9A 0BCB

சௌ
CHOU
0B9A 0BCC

ச்
CH
0B9A 0BCD

ஞ்
GN
0B9E 0BCD


GNA
0B9E

ஞா
GNAA
0B9E 0BBE

ஞி
GNE
0B9E 0BBF

ஞீ
GNEE
0B9E 0BC0

ஞு
GNU
0B9E 0BC1

ஞூ
GNOO
0B9E 0BC2

ஞெ
GN
Ā
0B9E 0BC6

ஞே
GNAE
0B9E 0BC7

ஞை
GNAI
0B9E 0BC8

ஞொ
GNO
0B9E 0BCA

ஞோ
GNOH
0B9E 0BCB

ஞௌ
GNOU
0B9E 0BCC

ஞ்
GN
0B9E 0BCD

ட்
D
0B9F 0BCD


DA
0B9F

டா
DAA
0B9F 0BBE

டி
DE
0B9F 0BBF

டீ
DEE
0B9F 0BC0

டு
DU
0B9F 0BC1

டூ
DOO
0B9F 0BC2

டெ
D
Ā
0B9F 0BC6

டே
DAE
0B9F 0BC7

டை
DAI
0B9F 0BC8

டொ
DO
0B9F 0BCA

டோ
DOH
0B9F 0BCB

டௌ
DOU
0B9F 0BCC

ட்
D
0B9F 0BCD

ண்
NN
0BA3 0BCD


NNA
0BA3

ணா
NNAA
0BA3 0BBE

ணி
NNE
0BA3 0BBF

ணீ
NNEE
0BA3 0BC0

ணு
NNU
0BA3 0BC1

ணூ
NNOO
0BA3 0BC2

ணெ
NN
Ā
0BA3 0BC6

ணே
NNAE
0BA3 0BC7

ணை
NNAI
0BA3 0BC8

ணொ
NNO
0BA3 0BCA

ணோ
NNOH
0BA3 0BCB

ணௌ
NNOU
0BA3 0BCC

ண்
NN
0BA3 0BCD

த்
TH
0BA4 0BCD


THA
0BA4

தா
THAA
0BA4 0BBE

தி
THE
0BA4 0BBF

தீ
THEE
0BA4 0BC0

து
THU
0BA4 0BC1

தூ
THOO
0BA4 0BC2

தெ
TH
Ā
0BA4 0BC6

தே
THAE
0BA4 0BC7

தை
THAI
0BA4 0BC8

தொ
THO
0BA4 0BCA

தோ
THOH
0BA4 0BCB

தௌ
THOU
0BA4 0BCC

த்
TH
0BA4 0BCD

ந்
N
0BA8 0BCD


NA
0BA8

நா
NAA
0BA8 0BBE

நி
NE
0BA8 0BBF

நீ
NEE
0BA8 0BC0

நு
NU
0BA8 0BC1

நூ
NOO
0BA8 0BC2

நெ
N
Ā
0BA8 0BC6

நே
NAE
0BA8 0BC7

நை
NAI
0BA8 0BC8

நொ
NO
0BA8 0BCA

நோ
NOH
0BA8 0BCB

நௌ
NOU
0BA8 0BCC

ந்
N
0BA8 0BCD

ப்
P
0BAA 0BCD


PA
0BAA

பா
PAA
0BAA 0BBE

பி
PE
0BAA 0BBF

பீ
PEE
0BAA 0BC0

பு
PU
0BAA 0BC1

பூ
POO
0BAA 0BC2

பெ
P
Ā
0BAA 0BC6

பே
PAE
0BAA 0BC7

பை
PAI
0BAA 0BC8

பொ
PO
0BAA 0BCA

போ
POH
0BAA 0BCB

பௌ
POU
0BAA 0BCC

ப்
P
0BAA 0BCD

ம்
M
0BAE 0BCD


MA
0BAE

மா
MAA
0BAE 0BBE

மி
ME
0BAE 0BBF

மீ
MEE
0BAE 0BC0

மு
MU
0BAE 0BC1

மூ
MOO
0BAE 0BC2

மெ
M
Ā
0BAE 0BC6

மே
MAE
0BAE 0BC7

மை
MAI
0BAE 0BC8

மொ
MO
0BAE 0BCA

மோ
MOH
0BAE 0BCB

மௌ
MOU
0BAE 0BCC

ம்
M
0BAE 0BCD

ய்
Y
0BAF 0BCD


YA
0BAF

யா
YAA
0BAF 0BBE

யி
YE
0BAF 0BBF

யீ
YEE
0BAF 0BC0

யு
YU
0BAF 0BC1

யூ
YOO
0BAF 0BC2

யெ
Y
Ā
0BAF 0BC6

யே
YAE
0BAF 0BC7

யை
YAI
0BAF 0BC8

யொ
YO
0BAF 0BCA

யோ
YOH
0BAF 0BCB

யௌ
YOU
0BAF 0BCC

ய்
Y
0BAF 0BCD

ர்
R
0BB0 0BCD


RA
0BB0

ரா
RAA
0BB0 0BBE

ரி
RE
0BB0 0BBF

ரீ
REE
0BB0 0BC0

ரு
RU
0BB0 0BC1

ரூ
ROO
0BB0 0BC2

ரெ
R
Ā
0BB0 0BC6

ரே
RAE
0BB0 0BC7

ரை
RAI
0BB0 0BC8

ரொ
RO
0BB0 0BCA

ரோ
ROH
0BB0 0BCB

ரௌ
ROU
0BB0 0BCC

ர்
R
0BB0 0BCD

ல்
L
0BB2 0BCD


LA
0BB2

லா
LAA
0BB2 0BBE

லி
LE
0BB2 0BBF

லீ
LEE
0BB2 0BC0

லு
LU
0BB2 0BC1

லூ
LOO
0BB2 0BC2

லெ
L
Ā
0BB2 0BC6

லே
LAE
0BB2 0BC7

லை
LAI
0BB2 0BC8

லொ
LO
0BB2 0BCA

லோ
LOH
0BB2 0BCB

லௌ
LOU
0BB2 0BCC

ல்
L
0BB2 0BCD

வ்
V
0BB5 0BCD


VA
0BB5

வா
VAA
0BB5 0BBE

வி
VE
0BB5 0BBF

வீ
VEE
0BB5 0BC0

வு
VU
0BB5 0BC1

வூ
VOO
0BB5 0BC2

வெ
V
Ā
0BB5 0BC6

வே
VAE
0BB5 0BC7

வை
VAI
0BB5 0BC8

வொ
VO
0BB5 0BCA

வோ
VOH
0BB5 0BCB

வௌ
VOU
0BB5 0BCC

வ்
V
0BB5 0BCD

ழ்
ZH
0BB4 0BCD


ZHA
0BB4

ழா
ZHAA
0BB4 0BBE

ழி
ZHE
0BB4 0BBF

ழீ
ZHEE
0BB4 0BC0

ழு
ZHU
0BB4 0BC1

ழூ
ZHOO
0BB4 0BC2

ழெ
ZH
Ā
0BB4 0BC6

ழே
ZHAE
0BB4 0BC7

ழை
ZHAI
0BB4 0BC8

ழொ
ZHO
0BB4 0BCA

ழோ
ZHOH
0BB4 0BCB

ழௌ
ZHOU
0BB4 0BCC

ழ்
ZH
0BB4 0BCD

ள்
LL
0BB3 0BCD


LLA
0BB3

ளா
LLAA
0BB3 0BBE

ளி
LLE
0BB3 0BBF

ளீ
LLEE
0BB3 0BC0

ளு
LLU
0BB3 0BC1

ளூ
LLOO
0BB3 0BC2

ளெ
LL
Ā
0BB3 0BC6

ளே
LLAE
0BB3 0BC7

ளை
LLAI
0BB3 0BC8

ளொ
LLO
0BB3 0BCA

ளோ
LLOH
0BB3 0BCB

ளௌ
LLOU
0BB3 0BCC

ள்
LL
0BB3 0BCD

ற்
RR
0BB1 0BCD


RRA
0BB1

றா
RRAA
0BB1 0BBE

றி
RRE
0BB1 0BBF

றீ
RREE
0BB1 0BC0

று
RRU
0BB1 0BC1

றூ
RROO
0BB1 0BC2

றெ
RR
Ā
0BB1 0BC6

றே
RRAE
0BB1 0BC7

றை
RRAI
0BB1 0BC8

றொ
RRO
0BB1 0BCA

றோ
RROH
0BB1 0BCB

றௌ
RROU
0BB1 0BCC

ற்
RR
0BB1 0BCD

ன்
N
0BA9 0BCD


NA
0BA9

னா
NAA
0BA9 0BBE

னி
NR
0BA9 0BBF

னீ
NEE
0BA9 0BC0

னு
NU
0BA9 0BC1

னூ
NOO
0BA9 0BC2

னெ
N
Ā
0BA9 0BC6

னே
NAE
0BA9 0BC7

னை
NAI
0BA9 0BC8

னொ
NO
0BA9 0BCA

னோ
NOH
0BA9 0BCB

னௌ
NOU
0BA9 0BCC

ன்
N
0BA9 0BCD


AKH
0B83


A
0B85


AA
0B86


E
0B87


EE
0B88


U
0B89


OO
0B8A


Ā
0B8E


AE
0B8F


I
0B90


O
0B92


OH
0B93


OU
0B94


AKH
0B83

I may talk more about this book from time to time -- like its different take on the ketter count (even with the additional letters it includes outside of the above table). As well as other, smiliar books I picked up covering other languages of India. Or maybe even other books from the pile.

Language is fascinating the living crap out of me at the moment, people....

 

No Unicode character was unconfused enough to comfortably sponsor this post -- the unfamiliar transliterations and "unfiltered" filtered HTML in Word stunned the lot of them!


# Ben Bryant on 26 Feb 2008 1:41 PM:

All I can say is... wow, you're amazing. That must have taken awhile to make these nice tables.

Most of them involve two code points. What is the correct terminology? "Combining characters", or "combining code points" to make a "combined character?"

# John Cowan on 26 Feb 2008 2:04 PM:

HTML Tidy <http://tidy.sourceforge.net> is very good at cleaning up Word's output: you can get a prebuilt binary for Windows.

# Srikanth on 26 Feb 2008 3:26 PM:

pingback: நன்றி தலைவா!

# Michael S. Kaplan on 26 Feb 2008 6:21 PM:

Hey Ben,

Actually, it was very quick (I scripted it all, then made the mistake of opening it in Word to tweak it!).

Mark Davis likes to call them "grapheme clusters" though I have always preferred the term "user character" since they are what the user thinks of as a character....

# Ben Bryant on 28 Feb 2008 12:36 PM:

Thanks!

# Ben Bryant on 28 Feb 2008 12:39 PM:

oh -- you had the book in some electronic form to begin with, I take it. What script language did you script it with?

# Michael S. Kaplan on 28 Feb 2008 12:49 PM:

Nope, I had the printed book, only. I used Perl to build up the original HTML, opened that in the browser, and then a copy/paste to put it in Word....

# Ben Bryant on 28 Feb 2008 1:54 PM:

I guess I was slow to realize you did not build your table from the book, you generated it from some other source, and said that it was "mostly reproduced" though with swapped axes.

But I'm still missing what that source is. You seem to have indicated you did not type them in so there must have been a source for the list of Tamil grapheme clusters. I'm guessing it is something in one of your previous posts which I missed, right?

# Michael S. Kaplan on 28 Feb 2008 2:28 PM:

I got the data from the book, I did. I essentially looked at the table and typed the code points. But that was all I typed.

What I automated was building the HTML tables, with the code points in them (that is what would have taken all the time!).

# Ben Bryant on 28 Feb 2008 3:39 PM:

Okay I get it, and now I've noticed the patterns in the "0B" code points, most of the first ones are the same in the rows, and the second ones the same in the columns. I gather you also entered the Tamil letters N NA NAA etc, which was probably the bulk of the work.

# Michael S. Kaplan on 28 Feb 2008 4:57 PM:

Exactly. And after running the script the second table made for a pretty cool looking one. :-)

# Leela Mehta on 14 Mar 2008 9:58 PM:

Amazing!!!. I dont know Tamil. I want to learn Tamil. Since I am in chennai from past 3 years but never tried to learn Tamil. From couple I am thinking to lean Tamil. So today I browsed google. I have gone through many sites. I did get any hope from those website. I dont know to speak tamil as well i dont know to write. Never I thought I could get inspired by something where in I will easy.I liked the way you have represented the character. I am finding very beautifully it has been arranged. I salute your brain.

THanks.

raja on 12 Oct 2009 11:28 PM:

hai i would like to lern tamil in 30 days


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referenced by

2010/07/26 You can violate the rules of decorum, just not the law of gravity

2009/09/09 On not being in Germany in October

2008/11/03 Inspiration, and a code chart

2008/06/30 Behold the Table Driven Text Service, Part 12 (The knights who say நீ, redux, #2)

2008/03/03 ঘেমন কর্ম তেমন ফল, aka Learn Bengali in a month (or not)

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