உயிர்க் குறிகள் (Uyirk kuRikaL – Sub symbols)
வணக்கம் நண்பர்களே, எப்படி சுகம்?
(vaNakkam naNparkaLe, eppadi sukam? means “Greeting friends, How are you?” 🙂 )
Let’s take a small review on first lesson:
– Tamil alphabet has 247 letters and 31 of them are important among them:
12 uyir ezhuththu, 18 mey ezhuththu, 1 aaytha ezhuththu.
– Every Body letters (Mey ezhuththu) merge with all soul letters (Uyir ezhuththu) and create 216 “Combined letters”.
– There are also 6 Grantha letters used in Tamil scripts with their respective combined letters exclude ஸ்ரீ: ஸ்,ஷ்,ஹ்,க்ஷ்,ஜ்
Before we consider about the pronunciation, we are going to know about உயிர்க் குறிகள். (uyirk kuRikaL – literally “symbols of soul letters”).
uyirk kuRikaL are the sub – symbols that we use in uyir – mey ezhuththu!
When vowels create combined letters by accompanying with consonant, a specific symbol is suffixed or prefixed with the consanant. those are the “uyrik kuRIkaL”.
By the way, Just practice with that symbols and you do not need to remember their names as most number of Tamils also don’t know their names! 🙂
1. புள்ளி (puLLi – dot) ்
puLLi is used to distinguish the pure mey ezhuththu from its அ வரிசை (“அ” series) uyir – mey ezhuththu.
ங் / ங – ng / nga
ச் / ச – ch / cha
த் / த – th / tha and so on.
2. அரவு (aravu) ா
aravu is suffixed to make the combined letters of ஆ series. You might find that aravu is slightly similar to the uyir ezhuththu “ஈ” (ii) and mey ezhuththu “ர” (ra). It is here remembered to you that don’t be confused ஈ and ர with uyirk kuRi ா.
க / கா – ka / kaa
ப / பா – pa / paa
ர / ரா – ra / raa
3. விசிறி (visiRi) – ி
visiri is the uyirk kuRi suffixed to represent இ (i) series.
ப / பி – pa / pi
ய / யி – ya / yi
ல / லி – la / li
visiRi of consonant ட (da) is only different from other இ series of combined letters..
ட / டி – da / di
4. விசிறிச் சுழி – visirich chuzhi – ீ
Like visiRi, visiRich chuzhi is suffxied for ஈ (ii) series
க / கீ – ka/ kii
ச / சீ – sa / sii
த – தீ tha /thii
same like visiRi, in ட (da):
ட / டீ – da /dii
5. ஒற்றைக் கொம்பு [O(t)RRaik kompu] ெ
Prefixed for எ (e) series and ஒ (o) series. There will be a “aravu ா” will follow the consonant in ஒ series to differentiate it with எ series:
எ series: ஒ series
ற / றெ – Ra / Re ற / றொ – Ra / Ro
ய / யெ – ya / ye ய / யொ – ya / yo
வ / வெ – va / ve வ / வொ – va / vo
6. இரட்டைக் கொம்பு (iraddaik kompu) ே
Like o(t)RRaik kompu, iraddaik kompu is prefixed to ஏ (ae) series and ஓ (oo) series.
ஏ series ஓ series
த / தே – tha / thae த / தோ – tha /thoo
ம / மே – ma / mae ம / மோ – ma / moo
ச / சே – cha / chae ச / சோ – cha / choo
7. இரட்டைச் சங்கிலி (iraddaich chankili) – ை
Prefixed to ஐ (ai) series.
க / கை – ka / kai
ப / பை – pa / pai
ழ / ழை – zha / zhai
8. கொம்பு (kompu) – ௗ
kompu is a uyirk kuRi suffixed to ஔ series always with “ெ”
Note that the ள symbol in vowels ஊ , ஔ and ஔ series of combined letters are absolutely similar to the consonant la = “ள” and don’t confuse it with usual ள.
ய / யௌ – ya / yau
ம / மௌ – ma / mau
ர / ரௌ – ra /rau
Briefly:
– aravu ா, uyir ezhuththu ஈ and mey ezhuththu ர are quite differ from each other.
– visiRi and visiRich chuzhi suffixes of consonant ட is only differ from other consonants: டி, டீ
– consonant ள and uyirk kuRi ள in ஊ, ஔ and ௌ are not the same.
– uyirk kuRikaL and their respective vowels.
ா – ஆ series
ி – இ series
ீ – ஈ series
ெ – எ series
ே – ஏ series
ை – ஐ series
ொ – ஒ series
ோ – ஓ series
ௌ – ஔ series
and
் – pure consonant
Bored with Tamil Alphabet? Be Smile! 🙂 Here we finished the all fundamental stuffs of Tamil alphabet. From next lesson, we enter the important part in learning of any language! – The pronunciation! Take a breather! See you! 😉