“Rare words” in classical Tamil literature: from the Uriyiyal to the Tivākaram

Chevillard, Jean-Luc (2010) “Rare words” in classical Tamil literature: from the Uriyiyal to the Tivākaram. Acta Orientalia, 63 (3). pp. 301-317. ISSN 0001-6446

Text aorient.63.2010.3.6.pdf Restricted to Repository staff only until 30 September 2030. Download (423kB)

Abstract

This article examines the organisation of the Uriyiyal , which is the 8th chapter inside the 2nd book of the Tolkāppiyam , the most ancient Tamil grammatical work preserved. That chapter, because it provides (approximate) synonyms for 120 “unfrequent words”, many of them polysemic, represents the earliest lexicographical attempt in Tamil. Those 120 words all belong to the category of uriccol , a residual lexical category, examined by the Tolkāppiyam once the nouns (peyarccol) , the verbs (viṉaiccol) and the particles (iṭaiccol) have been dealt with in earlier chapters. The final section of the article examines the posterity of the Uriyiyal , which becomes a marginal section in grammatical literature, but finds its full development in the different scholarly landscape which is created with the composition of thesauri such as the Tivākaram and its successors.

Actions (login required)

Edit Item