Editing Tamil Nadu (section)

=== Language ===
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|radius=75
|caption = Distribution of languages in Tamil Nadu (2011)<ref name="LRT"/>
|label1 = [[Tamil language|Tamil]]
|color1 = orange
|value1 = 88.35
|label2 = [[Telugu language|Telugu]]
|color2 = Blue
|value2 = 5.87
|label3 = [[Kannada]]
|color3 = deeppink
|value3 = 1.78
|label4 = [[Urdu]]
|color4 = Green
|value4 = 1.75
|label5 = [[Malayalam]]
|color5 = violet
|value5 = 1.01
|other-label = Others
|other = 1.24
|other-color = turquoise
}}
Tamil is the official language of Tamil Nadu, while [[English language|English]] serves as the additional official language.<ref name="Lang"/> Tamil is one of the oldest languages and was the first to be recognized as a [[classical language of India]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Tamil language|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tamil-language|publisher=[[Britannica]]|access-date=1 December 2023|archive-date=7 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231007012008/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tamil-language|url-status=live}}</ref> As per the 2011 census, Tamil is spoken as the first language by 88.4% of the state's population, followed by [[Telugu language|Telugu]] (5.87%), [[Kannada language|Kannada]] (1.78%), [[Urdu]] (1.75%), [[Malayalam]] (1.01%) and other languages (1.24%)<ref name="LRT">{{cite report|url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10222|title=Census India Catalog|publisher=[[Government of India]]|access-date=1 December 2023|archive-date=8 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208151656/https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10222|url-status=live}}</ref> Various [[Variety (linguistics)|varieties]] of Tamil are spoken across regions such as [[Madras Bashai]] in northern Tamil Nadu, [[Kongu Tamil]] in [[Kongu Nadu|Western Tamil Nadu]], [[Madurai Tamil]] around Madurai and [[Nellai Tamil]] in South-eastern Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Smirnitskaya|first1=Anna|title=Diglossia and Tamil varieties in Chennai|journal=Acta Linguistica Petropolitana|date=March 2019|issue=3|pages=318–334|doi=10.30842/alp2306573714317|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331772782|access-date=4 November 2022|doi-access=free|archive-date=28 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328173206/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331772782_Diglossia_and_Tamil_varieties_in_Chennai|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.inkl.com/news/several-dialects-of-tamil-and-10-mother-tongues-of-the-dravidian-family|title=Several dialects of Tamil|date=31 October 2023|work=Inkl|access-date=1 December 2023|archive-date=24 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231224181431/https://www.inkl.com/news/several-dialects-of-tamil-and-10-mother-tongues-of-the-dravidian-family|url-status=live}}</ref> It is part of the [[Dravidian languages]] and preserves many features of [[Proto-Dravidian]], though modern-day spoken Tamil in Tamil Nadu freely uses [[loanword]]s from other languages such as [[Sanskrit]] and English.<ref>{{cite book|last=Southworth|first=Franklin C.|title=Linguistic archaeology of South Asia|publisher=Routledge|year=2005|isbn=978-0-415-33323-8|pages=129–132}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Krishnamurti|first=Bhadriraju|title=The Dravidian Languages|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|series = Cambridge Language Surveys|year=2003|isbn=978-0-521-77111-5|page=480}}</ref> [[Korean language|Korean]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/society/k-and-the-city-why-are-more-and-more-chennaiites-learning-korean/article25256267.ece|title=K and the city: Why are more and more Chennaiites learning Korean?|first=Sweta|last=Akundi|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=18 October 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128030545/https://www.thehindu.com/society/k-and-the-city-why-are-more-and-more-chennaiites-learning-korean/article25256267.ece|archive-date=28 November 2020}}</ref> [[Japanese Language|Japanese]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/specials/india-file/konnichiwa/article22157129.ece1|title=Konnichiwa!|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=25 September 2017|access-date=25 September 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020210354/https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/specials/india-file/konnichiwa/article22157129.ece1|archive-date=20 October 2020}}</ref> [[French language|French]],<ref name="FP">{{cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2018/feb/21/how-many-tongues-can-you-speak-1776354.html|title=How many tongues can you speak?|website=The New Indian Express|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107191558/https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2018/feb/21/how-many-tongues-can-you-speak-1776354.html|archive-date=7 November 2020}}</ref> [[Mandarin Chinese]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/how-mandarin-has-become-crucial-in-chennai/article25321543.ece|title=How Mandarin has become crucial in Chennai|first=Sweta|last=Akundi|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=25 October 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203115726/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/how-mandarin-has-become-crucial-in-chennai/article25321543.ece|archive-date=3 December 2020}}</ref> [[German language|German]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/guten-morgen-chennaiites-signing-up-for-german-lessons-on-the-rise/articleshow/64152188.cms|title=Guten Morgen! Chennaiites signing up for German lessons on the rise|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=14 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129115236/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/guten-morgen-chennaiites-signing-up-for-german-lessons-on-the-rise/articleshow/64152188.cms|archive-date=29 November 2020}}</ref> and [[Spanish Language|Spanish]] are spoken by foreign expatriates in the state.<ref name="FP"/>