Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s21.t4: 4.18.4 Attributes
Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s21.t4
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4.18.4 Attributes
c23.s21.t4.1
Certain attributes are prefixed to personal names to indicate relative seniority within the family, as between father and son or elder and younger brothers having the same name.
c23.s21.t4.2
(a) *neṭu-* as in *neṭuñceḻiyaṉ* (No. *1*) and *peru-* (*pēr-* before vowels) as in *peruṅkūṟṟaṉ* (No. *88*) indicate elder members of the family;
c23.s21.t4.3
(b) *iḷa-* (variant, *eḷa-*) as in *iḷañcaṭikaṉ* (No. *2*), *kuṟu-* as in *kuṟummakaḷ* 'young(er) daughter' (No. *65*), and *ciṟu-* (variant, *ceṟ-* before a vowel) as in *ciṟuceṇṇaṉ* (No. *106*) indicate younger members of the family.
c23.s21.t4.4
Elsewhere, that is, outside the social groups like the family, these prefixed attributes have more generalised meanings like 'great/large' for (a) and 'small/little' for (b) above.
Linked texts (2)
- No. 2 — Sanskrit
- No. 106 (lv. 8) — Prakrit