[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Archaeology, epigraphy and coins](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy) › [Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D.](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003) › c25.s3.3 # Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c25.s3.3 Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c25.s3.3 - **Language:** English ### [c25.s3.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s3.3) \*Tolkāppiyam\*, the earliest extant grammar in Tamil, refers to the alphabet of thirty letters \*a\* to \*ṉa\* (\*Tol. Eḻu\*.1) and the \*puḷḷi\* (ibid. 15-16), indicating that the inner character of the writing at that time was the same as in the modern Tamil script. \*Naṉṉūl\*, the Tamil grammar (ca. 12th century \*A.D.\*) next only to \*Tolkāppiyam\* in importance, declares that "all letters are of ancient form" (\*Naṉṉūl\* 97). While linguistic changes with the passage of time are noticed in the grammatical treatises and the commentaries,¹ the original shapes of letters or their evolution with time are not referred to. - [Previous: c25.s3.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s3.2) - [Next: c25.s3.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s3.4) - [Up: c25.s3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s3) ## Cites (2) - [Naṉṉūl](https://indike.org/pramana/in.vernacular.tamil.grammar.nannul.97) — Pavaṇanti, Tamil - [Tolkāppiyam](https://indike.org/pramana/in.sangam.grammar.tolkappiyam) — Tolkāppiyar, Tamil --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s3.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s3.3) · Pramāṇa