Editing Tamil language (section)

== Spoken and literary variants ==

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{{Listen

| type          = speech
| header        =
| filename      = Thiruppugazh - Umbartharu - Hamsadhwani.wav
| title         = Thiruppugazh – Umbartharu – Hamsadhwani
| description   = Literary Tamil in hymn 'Umbartharu' (Hamsadhwani) on lord [[Ganesha]] from [[Thiruppugazh]] (c. 1400s).
| filename2      =Ta - குளிர் காய நேரமில்லை - அறிவுக் கதைகள் - ம.பொ.சிவஞானம்.ogg
| title2         = Sivagnanam's 'Arivuk kadhaigal'.
| description2   =Literary Tamil pronunciation. Reading an excerpt from [[Ma. Po. Si.]]'s book 'Arivuk kadhaigal' (1900s).
| filename3      = Ta-Senthamizh Nadu.ogg
| title3         = Bharathi's 'Senthamil nadu ennum' song
| description3   =Literary Tamil pronunciation in song written by [[Subramanya Bharathi]], 'Senthamizh naadennum pothinile' (1900s ).
}}
In addition to its dialects, Tamil exhibits different forms: a classical literary style modelled on the ancient language (''{{IAST|sankattamiḻ}}''), a modern literary and formal style (''{{IAST|centamiḻ}}''), and a modern [[colloquial]] form (''{{IAST|koṭuntamiḻ}}''). These styles shade into each other, forming a stylistic continuum. For example, it is possible to write ''{{IAST|centamiḻ}}'' with a vocabulary drawn from ''{{IAST|caṅkattamiḻ}}'', or to use forms associated with one of the other variants while speaking ''{{IAST|koṭuntamiḻ}}''.<ref>Schiffman, Harold (1997). "[http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/messeas/diglossia/handbuk.html Diglossia as a Sociolinguistic Situation]", in Florian Coulmas (ed.), ''The Handbook of Sociolinguistics''. London: Basil Blackwell, Ltd. pp. 205 ff.</ref>

In modern times, ''{{IAST|centamiḻ}}'' is generally used in formal writing and speech. For instance, it is the language of textbooks, of much of [[Tamil literature]] and of public speaking and debate. In recent times, however, ''{{IAST|koṭuntamiḻ}}'' has been making inroads into areas that have traditionally been considered the province of ''{{IAST|centamiḻ}}''. Most contemporary cinema, theatre and popular entertainment on television and radio, for example, is in ''{{IAST|koṭuntamiḻ}}'', and many politicians use it to bring themselves closer to their audience. The increasing use of ''{{IAST|koṭuntamiḻ}}'' in modern times has led to the emergence of unofficial 'standard' spoken dialects. In India, the 'standard' ''{{IAST|koṭuntamiḻ}}'', rather than on any one dialect,<ref name="Standard restandard">{{Citation | last1 = Schiffman | first1 = Harold | year = 1998 | title = Standardization or restandardization: The case for 'Standard' Spoken Tamil  | url =http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/public/stantam/STANTAM.HTM | journal = Language in Society | volume = 27 | issue = 3| pages = 359–385 |doi=10.1017/S0047404598003030 | postscript = .}}</ref>{{clarify|date=May 2022}} but has been significantly influenced by the dialects of [[Thanjavur]] and [[Madurai]]. In Sri Lanka, the standard is based on the dialect of [[Jaffna]].

=== Lexical Differences ===
There are some words that are only used in Literary Tamil such as: ''annai'' (mother), ''a:rava:ram'' (din and bustle), ''ali'' (offer),

''tarmam'' (charity), ''iyalum'' (possible), ''illam'' (house), ''kata'' (cross), and ''karpi'' (teach).<ref name=":0" />

There are also some words only used in Colloquial Tamil and these include: ''Le:cu'' (easy), ''rompa'' (much), ''vantava:''lam ''(unpleasant facts)'', ''va:ttiya:r'' (boss/leader), ''tatave'' (times/occasion).<ref name=":0" />

=== Comparative Text ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Literary Tamil<ref name=":0" />
!Colloquial Tamil
!English
|-
|''atu avaratu panam. na:n'' 
''pe:na:vai avanitam kotutten.''
|''Atu avaratu panam. na:n'' 
''pe:na:ve avankitte kotutten.''
|It is his money 
I gave the pen to him
|}