Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s21.t2: 4.18.2 Kinship
Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s21.t2
- Language
- English
4.18.2 Kinship
c23.s21.t2.1
The following kinship terms are attested in the inscriptions (*vide* Inscriptional Glossary for references):
c23.s21.t2.2
| (i) | *tantai* | : 'father' |
| (ii) | *tāyiyaru* | : 'mother' (honorific singular) |
| (iii) | *makaṉ* | : 'son' |
| (iv) | *makaḷ*, *kuṟummakaḷ* | : 'daughter' |
| (v) | *piṉ-aṉ* (*piṇṇaṉ*) | : 'younger brother' |
| (vi) | *sālakaṉ* | : 'sister-in-law's husband' |
c23.s21.t2.3
The term *tāyiyaru* does not occur in Tamil and seems to be an early loanword from Kannada; *piṇṇaṉ* occurs not in the literal sense of the term, but as a personal name. The word *sālakaṉ* is derived from Prakrit where, however, it has a different sense; cf. Pkt. *sālaka* < Skt. *syālaka* 'wife's brother'. The term has the same meaning in the inscription as Ta. *cakalaṉ* 'sister-in-law's husband'.