Lesson 2

Vannakam

The Tamil Alphabet is divided into 4 main categories:

·          Vowels

·          Consonants

·          Combination Letters (Vowel + Consonant)

·          Special Characters

 

The vowels are called Uyir Yezhuthukkal. Uyir means LIFE, so our vowels are our “life-giving letters”.

Yezhuthukkal is the plural from of the word Yezhuthu, which means LETTER.  There are 12 vowels.

 

SOME TIPS:

If you have kids, encourage your child to learn each letter, one at a time.

Attached is a worksheet with the entire chart of vowels, including one special character, Print it out and make flashcards or keep it as a reference sheet.

Flashcards are fun and encourage audio, visual and tactile learning, thus reinforcing the letters 3-fold.

Method: First show the letter to the child, then say it (e.g. “Ah” - the first vowel), then mix it in with the other letters and allow the child to choose the correct letter.

If you are teaching yourself or encouraging other adults, you will be amazed at how well this method will work for you as well!

You do not need dedicated time and effort to do these exercises. Do it in the car on the way to work/school, or even at the dinner table. Make it a discussion, not a quiz, and not a lesson. Ask them to ‘help  you learn’ and they are usually very eager to do that.

For the rebellious or reluctant child, teach that  a part of his/her identity is knowing his/her language, and that learning Tamil is as important as learning English.

Reward kids with TV time (or playstation time/ or whatever works for you) for every 10 minutes spent learning Tamil. Try not to punish them, because then they resent the language and see it as a task and a punishment. Bribery, otherwise known as ‘positive reinforcement’ works well every time ;) but just keep it reasonable and affordable or you’ll be the one avoiding the lessons!  Learn with them. It makes it more fun.

 

 

2nd Vowel

The second letter of the alphabet is ~ : AAH.    It is a longer sound of the first letter : Ah : `.

Now you know the first two

 vowels. We will learn all the vowels in the coming weeks.

The easiest way to recite and remember the vowels is

 phonetically.

"AH... AAH" would be the first 2

 phonetic sounds.

You will soon notice that the vowels are made up of short and long sounds.

Next week we will learn the next two vowels. It is important to be able to recognise the letters before you can write them, so we

 will work on recognition first and then writing technique. Practice, practice, practice and you'll soon recite the entire set of the 12

 Tamil Vowels.

 

Tamil is one of the major South Indian ("Dravidian") Languages, currently spoken by over 70 million people worldwide.

the reader:

Ulagelaam

Learning this prayer is easy. Make the effort to say the prayer out loud with a group when you have the opportunity (such as at a prayer or temple).  It will help you to learn the pronunciation and rhythm of the words as they are recited or sung. Do not be shy, afraid or embarrassed. You are learning and you should be proud of that!

Here’s Last Week’s Verse with a differently worded interpretation, but essentially the same meaning:

Ulagelaam unarnthu-odharku ariyavan

Nila vulaviya neermali veniyan

Alagil sodhiyan ambalathu aaduvaan

Malar silambadi vaazhthi vananguvaam.

 

Another interpretation: C. Munsamy Hons. Tamil (UDW) :

He is unperceivable through the five senses and his unique nature cannot be expounded even by great men.

He has matted locks where the crescent moon moves above and the Ganges abound.

He is abundant effluent light and he dances at the hall of wisdom.

His flowerlike feet adorned with anklets, we shall praise and worship him.

 

2^nd Verse of Ulagelaam

Although this verse is almost never recited, it is written as part of the complete prayer. The translation is from the Panniru Thirumurai Thirattu and again, remember that it is written by an Indian person for whom English is a second language. 

 

Contextualise the meaning after reading it and remember it in your own words if and when you recite this prayer.

 

Madhivalar sadaimudi manrularai mun

thudhiseyum nayanmar thooya solmalar

Podhinalan nugardharu punidhar paravai

Vidhimurai ulaginil vilangi velgava

Trans:  The great Assemblage consists of pure devotees who appreciate the sweetness from the wreath of sacred verses composed by the Saivaite Masters in the past, praising Lord with the braided hair and the Crescent Moon thereon. Let this shine forth in the righteous path in this world.

 

 This newsletter is free to share. I am not the author of  the academic information contained herein, however I have gathered so much random information over the years that I don't always have references for everything that I use. I will quote a source where I can, and if I can’t, please do not assume that I have taken credit for the information.  Most of it can be found with Google.  If you disagree with anything in this newsletter, please communicate it with respect and courtesy.  Please note that this is not a religious forum.

 

Lesson 1

Learning Tamil and Tamil Culture

Lesson 1

We greet each other with “Vannakam” meaning “I pray to the sacred in you, and see you as a manifestation of the same.”

The first letter of our alphabet is அ. This is generally shown in English as 'a'. The sound is the same as you would say the 'u' in 'up'.  E.g  அக்கா = Akka or ‘big sister’

Our Prayers:

Tamils in South Africa recite several different prayers, and most of us don't know all of them, and most of the time, even if we do ‘know’ them, we pronounce the words incorrectly.

The most common prayer in Gauteng is Ulagelaam. This is from the Periya Puraanam.  We usually only recite the first verse, as below.

This information taken from source: Panniru Thirumurai Thirattu, and is not purported to be the only translation, just the one I have available.

Ulagelaam  unarnthu-odharku  ariyavan

Nila  vulaviya  neermali  veniyan

Alagil  sodhiyan  ambalathu  aaduvaan

Malar  silambadi  vaazhthi  vananguvaam.

Translation:

We shall bow down before the Dancer of the Ambalam at His Feet, wearing anklet, which is the source for the world to sprout. He is imperceptible and unspeakable by the souls,  and He possesses braided hair filled with the Water of the Ganges and adorned with the Crescent moon and a form of immense splendour.

Comments:

This prayer is essentially a recitation of devotion and worship of Lord Shiva.  Remember that the translation was probably done by an Indian person who speaks English as a second language, so read it, and contextualise it in your own mind when you pray. There is a second verse to this prayer. This will be sent out next week.

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Each week, you will receive some information on Tamil culture and/or language. The ultimate goal of this free newsletter is to provide you with basic knowledge of your Tamil culture so that you can edify yourself, and if possible, pass that knowledge on to your children so that our culture can be preserved. Please feel free to share it and/or use it in any way you please. No copyright, but please mention learntamilsa@gmail.com.  Please note that I am not an expert, a priest, a teacher or any other such qualified person. I am simply sharing what I find from various sources. If you have something to share, please forward the information as well as the source. If you disagree with anything said in this newsletter please communicate it with respect and courtesy. This is not a religious forum.