Translation:Tolkappiyam/Verbs

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

Translation Example to the verse, cited by Elamburanar, an interpreter to the literature ‘Tolkappiyam’ who belongs to 11th century A.D. and others is given indented star-mark.

This chapter speaks on verbs in Tamil language.

Kinds and forms

• When examined, verbs do not mark case declination: they manifest conjugation for tense. 1
• Tenses are three in number. 2
• They are past, present and future. They appear in two forms: tense explicating verb-form denoting a deed and appellative verb in noun-form. 3
• Both of them belong to three forms of classes: human-class, non-human-class and common or neutral class. 4

Morphemes denoting First person in verbs

• Eight morphemes come in verb designating first person plural: [am], [aam], [e’m], [ee’m], [kum], [dum], [thum] and [r’um]. 5
• Seven morphemes come in verb designating first person singular: [ku], [du], [thu], [r’u], [e’n], [e’n] and [al]. 6
• Among the seven above, word [se’igu] (having suffix ‘ku’) being a participle cohering verb will also designate first person. 7

Morphemes denoting third person in verbs

• Four morphemes come in verb designating third person singular denoting one person in human-class: [an],[aam], [al’] and [aal’]. 8
• Three morphemes come in verb designating third person plural denoting one person in human-class: [ar], [aar] and [pa]. 9
• Morpheme [maar] being suffix in ‘participle cohering verb’ will ends with full fledged finite verb. 10
• The twenty three terminations of all above belong to human-class. 11

Verbs in addictive context

• Verbs with morphemes [am] and [aam] used in first person include the person standing in front of. 12
• Word [yaa+ar] (meaning who) will come in three (first, second and third) persons. 13
• The three verbs having suffix-morphemes [aan], [aal’} and [aar] will come with penultimate vowel changed in poems. (Example) [vanthaan < > vanthoo’n] = came. 14
• In such a way suffix [aay] will also come changed into [oo’y] in poems. (Example) [vanthaay < > vanthoo’y] 15

Nature of appellative verb (tense implicit predicate)

• Some words declining human-class, standing as predicate carry appellative sense: word declining sixth case, word denoting place, comparison, quality, negation, presence, capability etc.
  • [udaiyan] (=having person), [kaadan] (=a man livng in forest), [annan] (a man of that kind), ([iniyan] (sweet man), [illan] (=having none), [udaiyan] (=a man having something), [vallavan] (a man of capability)
• Some words declining non-human-class, standing as predicate carry appellative sense: any word standing in singular or plural capacity. 16
• The appellative verbs signifying sense implicitly and making number distinction in the human class gender do not differ from the formulaic pattern above. 17

Suffix-morphemes in verbs that come in non-human class

• The three suffix-morphemes, [a], [aa] and [va] denote plural in non-human class. 18
• The three suffix-morphemes, [thu], [du] and [r’u] denote singular in non-human class. 19
• The six morphemes spoken above are declined to non-human class. 20
• The interrogative word [e’van] is also applicable in non-human class. 21
• Ten more appellative verbs come in non-human class: [inr’u] (=no in the sense of singular), [ila] (=no in the sense of plural), [udaiya] (possessive they are), [anr’u] (=it is not), [udaiththu] (=it has), [alla] (they are not), words denoting quality, word [ul’a), word denoting a quality of a limb in a whole, words of compression. 22

Verbs come in both (human and non-human) classes

• Eight verbs stand distinct belonging to both human and non-human classes are: finite verb in the second person, finite verb in the optative mood, appellative verb signifying negation, appellative verb of pattern ‘[ve’r’u]’ signifying contrast, and verbs of formulaic pattern [se’ymmana] and [se’ytha]. 23
• Morphemes terminating in second person singular [i], [ai] and [aay] are common to both human and non-human classes. 24
• The verbs take the three terminations, [ir], [iir] and [min] assume forms identical in the plural number of the second person of the human class and the non-human classes; the learned men say. 25
• The remaining verbs go with five genders and three persons in accord with the context of use. 26
• The verb in optative mood does not come in first and second person. 27
• Finite verb of formulaic form [se’yyum] denoting the present tense do not go with third person plural of the human class and the first and second person as well. 28

‘Participle cohering verbs’ of formulaic pattern

• There are nine formulaic forms in ‘participle cohering verbs’: [se’ythu], [se’yyuu], [se’ybu], [se’ythe’na], [se’yyiyar], [se’yyiya], [se’yin], [se’ya] and [se’yar’ku]. 29
• Some more formulaic forms designating time that come after [se’ytha]-participle as suffix are: [pin], [kun], [kaal], [kadai], [vazi], [idaththu], etc. 30
• Among them, the first three of the above nine are attached to the subject. 31
• These three are also attached to the limb of its hole that stands as subject. 32
• Others end with finite verbs. 33
• Participles cohering verbs formed of different formulaic patterns occurring in succession will culminate in a finite verb. 34

Adjective participle

• Adjective particles in the formulaic pattern [se’ytha] and [se’yyum] will precede the six names that designate – place, object, time, instrument, doer and deed. 35
• Among the two adjective particles [se’yyum]-particle will precedes the names that designate the former three (above). 36

Negative structure of particle

• All the negative structures of adjective and adverb particles will function as their affirmative forms. 37
• Between the particle and its (noun or verb) form, some intervening expressions may also come. 38

Phoneme-ellipsis

• Formulaic pattern [se’yyum] may ellipsis its middle [u], learned says. Example: [vaavum kuthirai] > [vaam kuthirai] = galloping horse. 39

Tense

• Adverb particle [se’ythu] that denotes the past tense will also culminate future finite verbs. 40
• The object that stands as it is in past, present future will be expressed in present tense. 41
• In exigency, the above may be expressed in past tense. 42
• Doings of past can be added with future in the mood of certainty of result. 43
• Imperative verbs (Do’s) are expressed to all (first, second and third) persons. 44
• Questioning answer with a stress conveys negative meaning. 45
• Future result of certainty will be conveyed either in past or present tense. 46
• The verbal action of the object is also be conveyed in subjective mood. 47
• Vividness of expressions makes the past and future. 48
• Future tense also blends in the case above. 49