தமிழ் எழுத்தின் பெயர் – சில விமர்சனங்கள்

The Nomenclature of the Tamil Script : A Critical Study

Abstract

The origin and development of the Tamil script constitute an important area of research in Tamil linguistics, epigraphy, palaeography, and cultural history. Inscriptions serve as primary sources for tracing the historical evolution of Tamil script, as they provide valuable evidence concerning letter forms, graphic changes, word structures, grammatical usage, personal names, place names, and records of donations. The development of Tamil script was not a sudden phenomenon but the outcome of a gradual linguistic and palaeographic evolution over several centuries. The emergence of Tamil-Brahmi, followed by Vatteluttu, medieval Tamil script, and the transformations associated with the printing era, demonstrates the dynamic nature of Tamil writing traditions. The nomenclature assigned to the early Tamil script also requires critical examination. Terms such as Brahmi, Damili, and Dravidi have been used in different scholarly contexts, while the designation Tamil-Brahmi emerged as a later scholarly classification for the ancient script forms associated with Tamil. Therefore, this study critically examines the origin, development, and nomenclature of the Tamil script by integrating evidence from inscriptions, archaeology, numismatics, manuscripts, literary sources, and palaeography. The study emphasizes the need for an interdisciplinary approach to understand the historical identity and evolutionary trajectory of the Tamil script.