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Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 23:15:04 -0000
To: agathiyar@yahoogroups.com
Subject: The Hindu Reviews a new English Translation of Tolkappiyam
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Friends,
I have already mailed a copy of this review to some Tamil/Indology
scholars. Feel free to forward it to other lists that may be
interested in Tolkappiyam.
Thanks,
Mani M. Manivannan
-------------------------
Tuesday, Nov 06, 2001
The Hindu
Book Review Published on Tuesdays
Book Review
Descriptive Tamil grammar
TOLKAPPIYAM IN ENGLISH: Dr. V. Murugan; Institute of Asian Studies,
Chemmancherry, Chennai-600119. Rs. 600.
TOLKAPPIYAM, the earliest known descriptive grammar of Tamil, has
been so named after its author, Tolkappiyar. He has carefully
prepared the text, based on the materials, collected not only from
the literary and oral traditions which existed long before him, but
also from the study of his contemporary current works.
It is essential to record that erudite commentators among whom
Ilampuranar, Cenavaraiyar, Perasiriyar, and Nachinarkiniyar stand
supreme, have richly annotated the work. Valuable articles and books
on the salient aspects of the text and commentaries have been
sufficiently published so far. Experienced scholars have done yeoman
service through their brilliant rendition of Tolkappiyam into English
either in parts or whole. Among them, Dr. P.S.S. Sastri, Dr.
Ilakkuvanar and E.S. Varadaraja Aiyar deserve special mention. The
present book seems to be a sincere attempt to bring out the entire
text in English.
The translator has first given the aphorisms in the original, then in
the transliterated form to be followed by a free rendering in
English. Copious illustrations are also produced to help understand
the prescribed rules. In the end, glossary of technical words has
been appended.
Though the translator's diligence, absorbed interest and clarity of
expression are noticed, there are some remedial errors.
Hehastranslated "Mozhimarapu", the second chapter of Ezhuthathikaaram
as "morphophonemics". It actually deals with the distribution of
phonemes in the initial, medial and final positions of a word,
whereas morphophonemics has been discussed in the last six chapters.
He has rendered the title "Pirappiyal" as "production of speech
sounds" instead of "articulation of speech sounds". He has
denoted "caariyai", as empty morphemes, which according to linguists
convey sense and hence are improper.
He has literally translated the chapter-title "urupiyal" as case
morphemes, while obviously it prescribes the "sandhi" rules of case
markers. The rendition of "Uri-iyal" as "indeclinables" does not hold
good, since, there are many words such
as "atirvu", "icaippu," "vaartal" etc., which can be declined. His
translation of "Porulathikaaram" to mean "semantics" is funny, for it
presents the poetics and prosody.
Similar mistakes should be corrected at least in the next edition.
S.N. KANDASWAMY
