tamil
tamil ek maanav prajaateeya mool hai, jinka mukhya nivaas Bhaarat ke Tamil Nadu tatha uttari shri lanka mein hai. tamil samudaaya se judi cheejon ko bhi tamil kehte hain jaise, tamil tatha Tamil Nadu ke vaasiyon ko bhi tamil kaha jaata hai. taamil, Dravid jaati ki hi ek shaakha hai.
bahut se vidvaanon ki rai hai ki 'taamil' shabd sanskrut 'draavid' se nikla hai. manusanhita, mahaabhaarat aadi praacheen granthon mein dravid desh aur dravid jaati ka ullekh hai. maagadhi praakrut ya paali mein isi 'draavid' shabd ka roop 'daamilo' ho gaya. taamil varnamaala mein t, sh, the aadi ke ek hi uchchaaran ke kaaran 'daamilo' ka 'taamilo' ya 'taamil' ho gaya. shankaraachaarya ke shaareerak bhaashya mein 'dramil' shabd aaya hai. huenasaang naamak cheeni yaatri ne bhi dravid desh ko 'chi—amo—aalo' karke likha hai. tamil vyaakaran ke anusaar dramil shabd ka roop 'tirmid' hota hai. aajkal kuchh vidvaanon ki rai ho rahi hai ki yeh 'tirmid' shabd hi praacheen hai jisse sanskrutavaalon ne 'dravid' shabd bana liya. jainon ke 'shatrunjaya maahaatmya' naamak ek granth mein 'dravid' shabd par ek vilkshan kalpana ki gayi hai. ukt pustak ke mat se aadi teerthakar rishabhadev ko 'dravid' naamak ek putr jis bhoobhaag mein hua, usaka naam 'dravid' pad gaya. par Bhaarat, manusanhita aadi praacheen granthon se vidit hota hai ki dravid jaati ke nivaas ke hi kaaran desh ka naam dravid pada.
taamil jaati atyant praacheen he. puraatatvavidon ka mat hai ki yeh jaati anaarya hai aur aaryon ke aagaman se poorv hi Bhaarat ke anek bhaagon mein nivaas karti thi. raamachandr ne dakshin mein jaakar jin logon ki sahaayata se lanka par chadhaai ki thi aur jinhein vaalmeeki ne bandar likha hai, ve isi jaati ke the. unke kaale varn, bhinn aakruti tatha vikt bhaasha aadi ke kaaran hi aaryon ne unhein bandar kaha hoga. puraatatvavettaaon ka anumaan hai ki taamil jaati aaryon ke sansarg ke poorv hi bahut kuchh sabhyata praapt kar chuki thi. taamil logon ke raaja hote the jo kile banaakar rahate the. ve hajaar tak gin lete the. ve naav, chhote mote jahaaj, dhanush, baan, talavaar ityaadi bana lete the aur ek prakaar ka kapda bunana bhi jaante the. raaainge, seese aur jaste ko chhod aur sab dhaatuon ka gyaan bhi unhein tha. aaryon ke sansarg ke uparaant unhonne aaryon ki sabhyata poorn roop se grahan ki. dakshin desh mein aisi janashruti hai ki agastya rishi ne dakshin mein jaakar vahaaain ke nivaasiyon ko bahut si vidyaaeain sikhaai. baarah-terah sau varsh pehle dakshin mein jain dharm ka bada prachaar tha. cheeni yaatri huenasaang jis samay dakshin mein gaya tha, usane vahaaain diganbar jainon ki pradhaanata dekhi thi.
tamil bhaasha ka saahitya bhi atyant pracheen hai. do hajaar varsh poorv tak ke kaavya taamil bhaasha mein vidyamaan hain. par varnamaala naagari lipi ki tulana mein apoorn hai. anunaasik pancham varn ko chhod vyanjan ke ek ek varg ka uchchaaran ek hi sa hai. k, kh, g, gh, chaaron ka uchchaaran ek hi hai. vyanjanon ke is abhaav ke kaaran jo sanskrut shabd prayukt hote hain, ve vikrutt ho jaate hain; jaise, 'Krishna' shabd taamil mein 'kittinn' ho jaata hai. taamil bhaasha ka pradhaan granth kavi tiruvalluvar rachit kuraal kaavya hai.