Translation:Tolkappiyam/Nouns

by Tolkappiyar

use me to read Tamil

Source in Tamil

Note The serial number at the end denotes the verse in the part of the literature

Definition

• All words are sense designators. 1
• The meaning and the form stand revealed through the word, the learned say. 2
• Sense in word is two kinds: direct signified sense and suggestive or implied sense. 3

Word classifications

• Words fall in two classes: noun and verb, so the literate rules. 4
• Two classes of secondary words, vs. [idaiccol] = structural morpheme and [uriccol] = attributives are added with them. 5

Noun classifications

• On an analysis, nouns find in three classes: human (generic) class, non-human (generic) class and common to both classes. 6
• They belong to five genders of the above classes. 7

Gender in human-class

• In the manner above gender distinguished pronouns in human-class are: [avan] =he, [ivan], [uvan], [aval’] =she, [ival’], [uval’], [avar] =they, [ivar], [uvar], [yaan], [yam] =I, [n”aam] =we, [yaavan] =who, [yaaval’] and [yaavar] 8
• The following fifteen gender indicating words are also come in human-class: [magan] of the masculine gender, [magal’] of the feminine gender, [i]-ending word denoting feminine gender ([pe’ndaatti] =wife), [i] suffixing word on [nam] ([nimbi] = our brother), [ai] suffixing word on [nam] ([nangai]= our sister), words [magan] and [magal’] not denoting kinship, [maan”thar] (=all human beings), [makkal’] (kwon human beings), [aaduu] (=male), [magaduu] (=female), words with demonstrative initial ending in [an] and [aan] morphemes of masculine gender, and that of ending in [al’] and [aal’] morphemes of feminine gender, and words that par with standard comparison. 9
• The nominal terms [e’llaarum] (=all of them of human kind), [e’lliirum] (=all of you), the term [magan] that follows [pe’n’] ([pe’nmagan] = girlman), etc. are also come under the human-class. 10

Gender showing personal names in human-class

• With the morphemes denoting gender at the end nouns are derived from country, family or dynasty, group, vocation, possession, characteristics, etc. along with the plural names of kinship, plural names of limbs, plural names derived from landscape of divisions, catch-names of divisions in play by children etc. come under human-class. 11
• All the above come under human-class denoting singular and plural. 12

Gender identifying names in non-human class

• There are fifteen pronouns that mark gender (singular, plural) in non-human generic class: [athu] (=that), [ithu] (=this), [uthu] (=that is in eye sight), that names having softening phoneme [h] in-between, [avai] (=those), [ivai] (=these), [uvai] (=those in eye-sight), those coming with the end [v] ([av], [iv], [uv]), [yaathu] (=which denoting singular), [yaavai] (=which denoting plural) 13
• There are nine more nominal terms come under this class, marking gender (singular, plural): [palla] (=many), [pala] (=many), [sila] (=some), [ul’l’ a] (exist), [illa] (=none), verbal nouns (in singular and plural), nouns denoting ones characteristic (in singular and plural), coordinal numbers and inflected comparison morphemes. 14
• Nouns with [kal’] (=plural denoting morpheme) suffix are also come under this class. 15
• Such category of words come clarifying gender in non-human class. 16
• The gender will be inferred from the predicate (because, the noun being a subject will stand with or without [kal’} suffix). 17

Gender denoting common words to both human and non-human classes

• The gender of the common word belonging to both human and non-human classes will be inferred by its predicate only. [saaththan vanthan] =Saaththan (masculine genter) came, [saaththan vanthathu] = Saaththan (singular denoting a bull) came. 18
• The action may also indicate the gender, whether it belongs to human-class or non-human-class. 19
• Some of the common names belonging to human and non-human classes are: non derivative proper nouns, nouns making (peculiarities of) limbs, noun combining limb and the whole of it, names of kinship of two and the rest of such kind. 20
• The four kinds of non derivative proper nouns are: nouns in feminine and masculine gender, and nouns in plural and singular number. 21
• Nouns designating limb-whole entities are: those in feminine and masculine genders, and those in plural and singular numbers. 22
• Kinship nouns fall into two categories: those in feminine gender and masculine gender. 23
• Proper name denoting limb of a whole fall into four categories: masculine and feminine gender of human-class, and gender of singular and plural of non-human class. 24
• Designate combining names denoting limb of a whole fall into four categories: masculine and feminine gender of human-class, and gender of singular and plural of non-human class. 25
• The class-common name that denotes feminine gender in human-class will also implies singular-gender in non-human class. 26
• The class-common name that denotes masculine gender in human-class will also implies singular-gender in non-human class. 27
• Words denoting plural by indication of predicate are common to masculine, feminine, singular and plural gender of their respective classes. 28
• Names denoting singular is common to masculine, feminine and singular gender of their respective classes. 29
• Word [thaam] denotes plural. 30
• Word [than] denotes singular. 31
• Word [e’llaam] (=all) belonging to plural comes in three (first, second and third) persons. 32
• The word above excludes the second person in human-class. 33
• The words [n”iiyir] (=’you’ denoting plural) and [n”ii] (you – singular) do not indicate gender in common-class. 34
• Word [n”ii] (you) indicates singular. 35
• Another of the above two indicates plural. 36
• Word [oruvar] indicates one person in human-class and one thing in non-human class. 37
• The word above may come to dignify a person culminating in plural form of verb. 38
• Gender will be determined on the speaker’s intention and context. 39
• Word denoting a woman (she-man and he-girl) will have a predicate with relevant morpheme-suffix. 40
• Morphemes having penultimate phoneme [aa] may be changed into [oo’] in poetic form. 41
• Words signifying flora and fauna of the tract indicating person’s attitude may come with suffix-morpheme of human class. 42
• Name that not coined on tracts may also appear under common-class category. [vidalai] (=brave man). 43