[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) › c27.s39 # Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c27.s39: 7.36 Interjections Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c27.s39 - **Language:** English ### 7.36 Interjections ### [c27.s39.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c27.s39.1) Interjections are exclamatory words expressing strong emotions like wonder, surprise, etc. The following interjections occur in the Corpus: ### [c27.s39.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c27.s39.2) \*ittā-a\* 'lo, behold, look here !' 1.4 \*ītā\* 'lo, behold, look here !' 2.4, 16.1 ### [c27.s39.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c27.s39.3) The interjections \*itā\* and \*ītā\* occur in Literary Tamil in the same sense; the latter is regarded as more ancient. While \*ittā\* is not attested elsewhere, it may be regarded as a variant of \*itā\*. The two forms recorded in the Corpus seem to be derived from the proximate demonstrative pronoun \*iḵtu\* 'this': ### [c27.s39.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c27.s39.4) \*iḵtu\* + \*ā\* \> \*ittā\* / \*ītā\*. ### [c27.s39.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c27.s39.5) The loss of \*ḵ\* is compensated by the doubling of the following consonant in \*ittā-\*, and by the elongation of the preceding vowel in \*ītā\*. The elongation \*-ā-a\* in \*ittā-a\* to further emphasise the sense of wonder seems to be a case of \*uyiraḷapeṭai\* (vowel elongation). See Commentary (1.4 & 2.4) for further discussion. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c27.s39](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c27.s39) · Pramāṇa