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Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s21.t3: 4.18.3 Honorifics

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s21.t3

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4.18.3 Honorifics

c23.s21.t3.1

Members of social groups (like family or clan) are referred to with the addition of various honorifics to personal names to indicate their status or seniority within the group.

c23.s21.t3.2

**(i) *aṉtai***

c23.s21.t3.3

A frequent honorific affix (masc.). It can occur as an independent word either before a personal name as in *aṉtai pikaṉ* (No. **20**) or after as in *kuvira-aṉtai* (No. **32**) or as a bound suffix as in *korṟantai* (No. **67**). The honorific signifies the seniority or status of the member of a family or group. It is to be noted especially that *-antai* as a bound suffix also serves as an honorific and does not mean 'father of' as interpreted in Tamil grammatical tradition. The variant *atai* (for *antai* or *attai*) occurs in a couple of inscriptions (Nos. *30* & *56*).

c23.s21.t3.4

(ii) *-a(p)pa*

c23.s21.t3.5

An honorific suffix (masc.) as in *o(p)paṉ=a(p)pa* (No. *79*) for an elder person.

c23.s21.t3.6

(iii) *-a(y)yaṉ*/*-aiyaṉ*

c23.s21.t3.7

Honorific suffixes (masc.), both occurring in the same inscription (No. *55*) with the same significance as the honorific noted above.

c23.s21.t3.8

(iv) *-aṇṇi*

c23.s21.t3.9

An honorific suffix (fem.). Though the literal meaning of the word is 'elder brother's wife', it occurs in the inscription (No. *83*) as a term of respect for an elder woman.

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