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Language name Telugu �telυɡu�
Language name Tamil �t�mil
Autonym (if known and different)
THE LINGUISTICS STUDENT’S HANDBOOK 342
Autonym (if known and different) tamic
Language family Dravidian
Language family Dravidian Tamil-Kannada
Spoken in Andhra Pradesh (India)
Spoken in Tamil Nadu (India), Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore
Approximate number of speakers 54m
Approximate number of speakers 66m
Writing system its own system
Writing system its own alphabet
Phonetics/phonology
Phonetics/phonology
Stress quantity-based
Stress weight-based, usually word-initial
Contains following rare retroflex
consonant (types)
Contains following rare retroflex
consonant (types)
Said to have how many vowels? 5 + length + 2 diphthongs
Said to have how many vowels? 5 + length + 2 diphthongs
Marked vowel types
Marked vowel types back unrounded (in borrowed words)
Tone none
Tone none
Rhythm no information
Rhythm syllable-timed
Vowel harmony some complete assimilation
Vowel harmony none
Morphology agglutinative word-based
Morphology agglutinative word-based
Particular formation types suffix
Particular formation types dvandva; partial suffixed and full reduplication; suffix
Syntax
Word order SOV AN postpositions
PossN
Particular syntactic phenomena gender; inclusive / exclusive 1st plural; nominative /
accusative marking; conjugation classes
Syntax
Word order SOV AN postpositions
PossN
Particular syntactic phenomena gender; inclusive / exclusive 1st plural; nominative /
accusative marking; evidentials
Points of interest the speech of the educated uses 33 consonant phonemes,
while uneducated users have only 17 consonant phonemes,
the difference being largely in aspirated consonants
Points of interest
Sources Krishnamurti (2003), Krishnamurti & Gwynn (1985),
Prakasam (2005)
Sources Annamali & Steever (1998), Asher (1982), Campbell (1991),
Haspelmath et al. (2005), Katzner (1977), Krishnamurti
(2003), Ruhlen (1976)
Tetum see Tetun