| Population |
61,500,000 in India (1997). Population total all countries: 65,675,200. |
| Region |
Tamil Nadu and neighboring states. Also in Bahrain, Canada, Fiji, Germany, Malaysia (Peninsular), Mauritius, Netherlands, Qatar, Réunion, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States. |
| Alternate names |
Damulian, Tamal, Tamalsan, Tambul, Tamili |
| Dialects |
Adi Dravida, Aiyar, Aiyangar, Arava, Burgandi, Kongar, Madrasi, Madurai, Pattapu Bhasha, Tamil, Sri Lanka Tamil, Malaya Tamil, Burma Tamil, South Africa Tamil, Tigalu, Harijan, Sanketi, Hebbar, Mandyam Brahmin, Secunderabad Brahmin. Burgandi are nomadic. Aiyar and Aiyangar are Brahmin dialects. Southern dialect around Madurai is literary standard. Eastern dialect is colloquial standard (Zvelebil 1998). Sanketi dialect in Karnataka used by immigrants from Madurai and Shenkotta in Tamil Nadu. Their lexicon is greatly influenced by Kannada. |
| Classification |
Dravidian, Southern, Tamil-Kannada, Tamil-Kodagu, Tamil-Malayalam, Tamil |
| Language use |
Official language. 8,000,000 L2 speakers. Also use Kannada [kan]. |
| Language development |
Taught in primary and secondary schools. Fully developed. Bible: 1727–2002. |
| Writing system |
Tamil script. |
| Comments |
State language of Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Andaman, and Nicobar Islands. SOV. Hindu, Muslim. |
