Page:Tamil studies.djvu/425

398 On the other hand, this Per-Agattiya-Tirattu devotes one whole chapter of some 24 Sutras to Sandhis and word formation, which have been explained in the seventh essay as the peculiar characteristics of Sanskrit. Evidently it includes in the Tamil vocabulary of Agastya's age pure Sanskrit words and foreign or desiya words borrowed by modern Tamil as the following aphorisms will show:—

(1) ஞகரம் அ ஆ எ ஒவ் வோடாம்.

(2) யகரம் அ ஆ உ ஊ ஒ ஒள வுடனும்,

With this compare the corresponding sutras in (a) Tolkapyam and (b) Nannul.

(a) (1) ஆ எ ஒ எனு முயிர் ஞகாரத்துரிய.

(2) ஆவோடல்லது யகரமுதலாது.

(b) (1) அ ஆ எ ஒவ்வோ டாகுஞம்முதல்.

(2) அ ஆ உ ஊ ஒ ஒள யம்முதல்.

3. The author of this grammar seems to think that the Tamil letter Aydam, ஃ, is borrowed from Sanskrit as will be inferred from the following sutras.

(a) முதலுயிர் மெய்யாய்த முப்பானொன்றே. (7)

(b) எ ஒவ்வும் ழ றனவுந்தமி ழெழுத்தென்க. (54)

(C) ஐந்தொழி யெழுத்தெலாம் வடவெழுத்தாகும். (55)

It is usual to say that ழ, ள, ற, and ன, which are purposely placed last in the Tamil alphabetic system to indicate their speciality to that tongue, and the letter ஃ, which has neither the sound of visarga nor that of jihvaimulya but a sound peculiarly its own, are the distinguishing marks of Tamil. To call Aydam a Sanskrit letter is absurd. Moreover, the author of this work seems io derive Tamil from Sanskrit.

4. The பேரிசைச்சூத்திரம் attributed to Agastya's