Lingua Malabar Tamul or simply Malabar Tamil is a variant of Tamil language[1] promoted by European Missionaries in southern parts of Kerala state like Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts before they started promoting Malayalam language among newly converted Christians.[2] Malabar Tamil differs significantly from standard Tamil in its selection of vocabulary. Initially Malabar Tamil was printed using Roman script.[3] Later on, printing using Tamil script became widespread.[4]

Etymology

The word Malabar is derived from the words "mala-bar". Mala in Malayalam means "hill". Bar in Persian/Arabic means "country" or "nation".[5][6]

Gallery

  • Doctrina Christam/Thambiran vanakkam (printed in 1578)
    Doctrina Christam/Thambiran vanakkam (printed in 1578)
  • Flos Santorum/Kirisithiani Vanakkam (printed in 1579)
    Flos Santorum/Kirisithiani Vanakkam (printed in 1579)
  • Cartilha, Germano Galhadro printed in Lisbon on 11 Feb 1554
    Cartilha, Germano Galhadro printed in Lisbon on 11 Feb 1554

See also

References

  1. ^ Xavier S. Thani Nayagam (1957). Tamil Culture. Academy of Tamil Culture. p. 246.
  2. ^ S. Jeyaseela Stephen (1998). Portuguese in the Tamil coast: historical explorations in commerce and culture, 1507-1749. Navajothi Pub. House. pp. 328–329. ISBN 9788187382003.
  3. ^ Stuart H. Blackburn (2006). Print, Folklore, and Nationalism in Colonial South India. Orient Blackswan. p. 33. ISBN 978-81-7824-149-4.
  4. ^ Bellary Shamanna Kesavan (1984). History of Printing and Publishing in India: South Indian origins of printing. National Book Trust, India. p. 28.
  5. ^ C. A. Innes and F. B. Evans, Malabar and Anjengo, volume 1, Madras District Gazetteers (Madras: Government Press, 1915), p. 2.
  6. ^ M. T. Narayanan, Agrarian Relations in Late Medieval Malabar (New Delhi: Northern Book Centre, 2003), xvi-xvii.
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