Kongu Tamil

Kongu Tamil is the dialect of Tamil language that is spoken by

the people in Kongu Nadu, which is the western region of Tamil Kongu Tamil
Nadu. It is originally known as "Kangee"`[1] or "Kongalam"[2] ெகா த tamiḻ
or "Kongappechu or Kongu bashai or Coimbatore Tamil". Native to Tamil Nadu -
Kongu Nadu
Region

Contents Native speakers Kongu People

Language family Dravidian
Etymology
Southern
Variations
Tamil–
Areas spoken Kannada
References Tamil–
Kodagu
Tamil–
Etymology Malayalam
Tamil
'Ganga' is the source for the name. Kongu Nadu is land of languages
Gangas. Gangeya (Kaangeyam) and Ganganadu are alternative Kongu
historical names for the Kongu region. Tamil

Writing system Tamil script

Variations Official status
Official language in India (Tamil
The speciality of Kongu Tamil is the use of the alveolar ற -
Nadu)
Tra/Dra (as in the English word track) instead of retroflex T/D
(ட) of standard Tamil. For example, 'ennuDaya' (mine) of Language codes
standard Tamil is pronounced enRa in the Kongu dialect. ISO 639-3 –
However, only Coimbatore district people use this. Additionally None
Glottolog
the use of guttural nasal ( ) that sounds "ng" as in the English
word Gang, is more prevalent in Kongu Tamil, leading to
situations where the grammar of Kongu Tamil would not fit into
the grammar of standard Tamil (as laid down in authoritative
treatises like Tolkappiyam and Nannool). One of the examples is
the use of to end a word like வா "vaang", means 'come'
expressed in a respectful tone, which in standard Tamil would be
"vaanga". Also this is observed in the Kangayam, Dharapuram
area. Both of these are stereotyping Kongalam with regional,
professional variations.

Kongu Tamil also uses certain Tamil words that are unique to
Kongu region and are not used in standard Tamil.

Distribution of native Tamil speakers in

Areas spoken India and Sri Lanka
The Kongu Tamil dialect is heavily spoken by Kongu people in Coimbatore district, Nilgiris district, Tirupur
district, Karur district, Erode district, Namakkal district, Salem district, Dharmapuri district, Krishnagiri
district, Dindigul district and parts of Kallakurichi district, Trichy district, Palakkad District and
Chamrajnagar district.

References
1. Severine Silva. Toponomy of Canara (https://books.google.com/books?id=e7c9AAAAMAAJ&q
=kangiam+mysore&dq=kangiam+mysore&hl=en&ei=fDWtTeXUIYu8vQP8oejTCg&sa=X&oi=bo
ok_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAQ). p. 34. "In the southern part of Mysore
the Tamil language is at this day named the Kangee, from being best known to them as the
language of the people of Kangiam"
̲
2. F. Poezold, William Simpson (1809). Tamilumai ṅakilēcumāyirukakir̲a akarāti (https://books.goo
gle.com/books?id=KlYIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PT69&dq=congoo+country&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5r2PUP
PwMcTyrQfon4GICw&ved=0CC8Q6wEwAA). Oxford University.

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This page was last edited on 2 March 2020, at 12:44 (UTC).

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