Tolkāppiyam: The Initial Letters in Language and the Verses of Ainkurunūru

Abstract

Although Tolkāppiyam is primarily a treatise on poetics, it provides a comprehensive grammatical framework for the Tamil language, spanning from phonology to syntax. A significant aspect of its linguistic description is the categorization of vowels and consonants that are permissible in the word-initial and word-final positions. This research aims to examine the correlation between the word-initial rules prescribed in Tolkāppiyam and their practical application in Aiṅkuṟunūṟu, specifically focusing on the Marutham (riverine) landscape poems. As Aiṅkuṟunūṟu holds a distinct position as the first compiled anthology among the Akam (interior) works of the Sangam era, it serves as an ideal primary source for testing the chronological alignment between classical grammar and literature. By identifying the linguistic parallels between these two works, this study seeks to demonstrate the structural and temporal consistency between the rules of Tolkāppiyam and the poetic conventions of early classical Tamil literature.