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Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c27.s6: 7.5 Distribution of consonants

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c27.s6

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7.5 Distribution of consonants

7.5.1 In the Corpus

c27.s6.t1.1

The distribution of consonants including clusters in the Corpus is summarised in Table 7.1. Examples of the distribution are listed below. Brief explanatory remarks on exceptional cases are added within brackets to the relevant entries.

c27.s6.t1.2

| k- | *kal* | 'stone' | 48.7 |
| -k- | *makaṉ* | 'son' | 20.2 |
| -kk- | *vaṇṇakkaṉ* | 'a clan name' | 85.3.b |
| -ṅk- | *peruṅkaṭuṅkōṉ* | 'a personal name' (only in sandhi) | 61.9 |
| c- | *cuṉai* | 'spring' | 84.6 |
| -c- | *muciṟi* | 'a place name' | 56.3 |
| -cc- | *kaccavaṉu* | 'a personal name' (loanword) | 119.2.a |
| -ñc- | *añci* | 'a personal name' | 59.2.d |
| -ṭ- | *koṭu* | 'given' | 10.4 |
| -ṭṭ- | *koṭṭupi(t)tōṉ* | 'he who caused to be carved' | 8.3 |
| ṇ- | *ṇākaṉ* | 'a personal name' (*ṇ*- due to influence of Pkt.) | 72.1 |
| -ṇ- | *amaṇaṉ* | 'Jaina monk' | 24.1 |
| -ṇ | *veṇ-* | 'pure, bright' (only in sandhi) | 14.1.a |
| -ṇṇ- | *aṇṇi* | 'honorific (fem.)' | 83.4.c |
| -ṇṭ- | *karaṇṭai* | 'cave' | 51.1 |
| -ṇk- | *veṇkāsipaṉ* | 'a personal name' (only in sandhi) | 14.1 |
| -ṇp- | *veṇpa(!)li* | 'a place name' (only in sandhi) | 46.1 |
| t- | *tanta* | 'who took (in battle)' | 73.3 |

c27.s6.t1.3

| -*t*- | *mutā* | 'elder, senior' | 61.1 |
| -*tt*- | *eḻuttu* | 'letter (of the alphabet)' | 85.1 |
| *n*- | *nūṟu* | 'hundred' | 16.3 |
| -*n*- | *veni* | 'a personal name' (-*n*- error for -*ṉ*(*ṉ*)-) | 70.2.a |
| -*n* | *atiyan* | 'a personal name' (-*n* error for -*ṉ*) | 59.2.a |
| -*nn*- | *aṉacaṉaṉ-nōṟṟa* | 'who observed the penance of fasting' (only in sandhi ) | 116.2-3 |
| -*nt*- | *tantai* | 'father' | 2.8 |
| -*nm*- | *tanmaṉ* | 'a personal name' (only in a loanword; -*n*- probably error for -*ṉ*-) | 45.1 |
| *p*- | *piṟanta* | 'who was born' | 49.3 |
| -*p*- | *ceyipi(t)ta* | 'which was caused to be made' | 65.5 |
| -(*p*)*p*- | *u(p)pu* | 'salt' (-*p*- not doubled in original) | 39.1.a |
| *m*- | *malai* | 'mountain' | 85.3.a |
| -*m*- | *ama* | 'who abide' | 48.6 |
| -*m* | *pēr-ay-am* | 'large tank' | 35.2 |
| -*mm*- | *kuṟummakaḷ* | 'young daughter' (exceptional doubling; alternatively, *kuṟum makaḷ*) | 65.3 |
| -*mp*- | *vēmp(u)-* | lit., 'neem'; part of a place name | 35.1.a |
| *y*- | *yāṟṟu* | lit., 'of the river'; a place name | 62.3 |
| -*y*- | *iḷayar* | 'a clan name' | 49.6 |
| -*y* | *matiray* | 'a place name' | 36.1 |
| -(*y*)*y*- | *a(y)yaṉ* | 'honorific' (-*y*- not doubled in original) | 55.5.b |
| -*yk*- | *poykai* | 'pond' | 102.2 |
| -*y*(*c*)*c*- | *āy(c)ca-* | 'part of a personal name' (-*c*- not doubled in original) | 55.5.a |
| -*yt*- | *ceyta* | 'which was made' | 49.7 |
| -*yl* | *e-iyl* | 'a place name' (-*iy*- error for -*yi*-) | 18.1 |
| -*yv*- | *kāyvaṉ* | 'a personal name' (-*y*- error for -*yi*-) | 104.2 |
| -*r*- | *ēri* | lit., 'lake'; a place name | 60.4 |
| -*r* | *iruvar* | 'two persons' | 48.5 |

c27.s6.t1.4

| *-l-* | *kala-* | 'a measure' | 16.4 |
| *-l* | *nel* | 'paddy' | 16.5 |
| *-ll-* | *nalli-* | 'a personal name' (part of a place name) | 66.1.a |
| *-lk-* | *ko(t)ṭalku* | 'for carving' | 12.2 |
| *-lp-* | *palpuli* | 'a place name' (only in sandhi) | 118.1 |
| *-lm-* | *nalmula-ukai* | 'auspicious cave' (only in sandhi) | 17.3 |
| *-lv-* | *poṇ-kolvaṇ* | 'goldsmith' | 36.2 |
| *v-* | *vai(k)ka* | 'to endow' | 16.2 |
| *-v-* | *kavi* | 'cave' | 57.3 |
| *-v* | *av-* | 'those' (only in sandhi) | 45.3.a |
| *-vv-* | *avv-iru-a-ar-um* | 'those two persons also' (only in sandhi) | 45.3 |
| *-ḷ-* | *kiḷār* | 'a title' | 84.2 |
| *-ḷ* | *perumpokaḷ* | 'a place name' | 83.1 |
| *-ḷ-* | *iḷa-* | 'young' | 17.1.a |
| *-ḷ* | *makaḷ* | 'daughter' | 66.3 |
| *-ḷḷ-* | *paḷḷi* | 'hermitage' | 83.6 |
| *-ṟ-* | *aṟai* | 'rock'; part of a place name | 6.1.b |
| *-ṟṟ-* | *koṟṟi* | 'a personal name' (fem.) | 66.4.b |
| *-ṟk-* | *poṟkoṟṟi* | 'pet name of a cock' (only in sandhi) | 113.3 |
| *-ṟc-* | *mēṟcēri* | 'a place name' (only in sandhi) | 112.2 |
| *ṉ-* | *ṉākaṉ* | 'a personal name' (*ṉ-* error for *n-*) | 37.1 |
| *-ṉ-* | *paṉai* | 'palmyra palm'; (part of a place name) | 50.1.a |
| *-ṉ* | *poṉ* | 'gold' | 36.2.a |
| *-ṉṉ-* | *kuṟṟaṉṉ-aṟu(p)pitta* | 'caused to be carved by Kuṟṟaṉ' (in sandhi) | 63.4.b-5 |
| *-ṉṟ-* | *kuṉṟu* | 'hill' | 73.5 |
| *-ṉk-* | *teṉku* | 'south' | 49.5.a |
| *-ṉv-* | *poṉ-vāṇikaṉ* | 'gold merchant' (only in sandhi) | 69.2 |

c27.s6.t1.5

| Initial | Medial | Final | Geminates | Homorganic nasal+ stop | Other clusters |
| *k-* | *-k-* | | *-kk-* | | |
| | | | | *-ṅk-* | |
| *c-* | *-c-* | | *-cc-* | | |
| | | | | *-ñc-* | |
| | *-ṭ-* | | *-ṭṭ-* | | |
| *ṇ-* | *-ṇ-* | *-ṇ* | *-ṇṇ-* | *-ṇṭ-* | *-ṇk-* *-ṇp-* |
| *t-* | *-t-* | | *-tt-* | | |
| *n-* | *-n-* | *-n* | *-nn-* | *-nt-* | *-nm-* |
| *p-* | *-p-* | | *-(p)p-* | | |
| *m-* | *-m-* | *-m* | *-mm-* | *-mp-* | |
| *y-* | *-y-* | *-y* | *-(y)y-* | | *-yk-* *-y(c)c-* *-yt-* *-yl* *-yv-* |
| | *-r-* | *-r* | | | |
| | *-l-* | *-l* | *-ll-* | | *-lk-* *-lp-* *-lm-* *-lv-* |
| *v-* | *-v-* | *-v* | *-vv-* | | |
| | *-ḻ-* | *-ḻ* | | | |
| | *-ḷ-* | *-ḷ* | *-ḷḷ-* | | |
| | *-ṟ-* | | *-ṟṟ-* | | *-ṟk-* *-ṟc-* |
| *ṉ-* | *-ṉ-* | *-ṉ* | *-ṉṉ-* | *-ṉṟ-* | *-ṉk-* *-ṉv-* |

c27.s6.t1.6

Table 7.1. Distribution of consonants in the Early Tamil inscriptions in the Corpus.

7.5.2 Comparison with Tolkāppiyam

c27.s6.t2.1

7.5.2.1 *Initial consonants

c27.s6.t2.2

Only the following 9 consonants can occur initially (*Tol. Eḻu.* 61-65):

c27.s6.t2.3

**k c ñ t n p m y v**

c27.s6.t2.4

All the above consonants except *ñ-* occur initially in the Corpus. Additionally, *ṇ-* and *ṉ-* also occur initially in the exceptional circumstances noted in the examples.

c27.s6.t2.5

7.5.2.2 *Final consonants

c27.s6.t2.6

Only the following 11 consonants can occur finally (*Tol. Eḻu.* 78):

c27.s6.t2.7

**ñ ṇ n m y r l v ḻ ḷ ṉ**

c27.s6.t2.8

Among them, 4 consonants, viz., *-ñ -n -v* and *-ṇ* can occur finally subject to some restrictions (*Tol. Eḻu.* 79-82).

c27.s6.t2.9

All except *-ñ* occur finally in the Corpus. However, *-ṇ -n* and *-v* occur finally only in the exceptional circumstances noted in the examples.

c27.s6.t2.10

7.5.2.3 *Consonant clusters

c27.s6.t2.11

Consonant clusters can occur only medially except *-nm* once in the final position as in *pōṉm* (*Tol. Eḻu.* 51).

c27.s6.t2.12

All consonant clusters in the Corpus occur only medially except *-yl* once finally in a case of scribal error; *-nm-* occurs once medially in a loanword. (See examples.)

c27.s6.t2.13

7.5.2.4 *Geminates

c27.s6.t2.14

All consonants except *r* and *ḻ* can occur as geminates (*Tol. Eḻu.* 30).

c27.s6.t2.15

In addition to the two exceptions, the geminates *-ṅṅ-* and *-ññ-* are also not found in the Corpus. Further, the geminates *-nn- -pp- -mm- -yy-* and *-vv-* occur only in the exceptional circumstances noted in the examples.

c27.s6.t2.16

7.5.2.5 *Use of single for double consonants in the inscriptions

c27.s6.t2.17

As the orthography of the inscriptions permits the use of single consonants in writing to represent the long (doubled) consonants in the language, the number of geminates recorded in the Corpus is correspondingly less. (The basic consonant of the geminates not occurring in the original inscriptions is shown within brackets. e.g., *u(p)pu* for *upu* 'salt'.) See section 6.17 for discussion.

c27.s6.t2.18

7.5.2.6 *Homorganic nasals plus stops

c27.s6.t2.19

All the six possible clusters of homorganic nasals with stops can occur (*Tol. Eḻu.* 25):

c27.s6.t2.20

*-ṅk- -ñc- -ṇṭ- -nt- -mp- -ṉṟ*

c27.s6.t2.21

All of them occur in the Corpus. However, *-ṅk-* occurs in the Corpus only in sandhi as noted in the example.

c27.s6.t2.22

| | *-a* | *-ā* | *-i* | *-ī* | *-u* | *-ū* | *-e* | *-ē* | *-ai* | *-o* | *-ō* |
| *k-* | *ka* | *kā* | *ki* | *kī* | *ku* | *kū* | – | *kē* | *kai* | *ko* | *kō* |
| *ṅ-* | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| *c-* | *ca* | *cā* | *ci* | *cī* | *cu* | – | *ce* | *cē* | *cai* | – | – |
| *ñ-* | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| *ṭ-* | *ṭa* | *ṭā* | *ṭi* | – | *ṭu* | *ṭū* | – | – | *ṭai* | – | – |
| *ṇ-* | *ṇa* | *ṇā* | *ṇi* | – | – | – | – | – | *ṇai* | – | – |
| *t-* | *ta* | *tā* | *ti* | – | *tu* | – | *te* | *tē* | *tai* | *to* | *tō* |
| *n-* | *na* | *nā* | *ni* | *nī* | *nu* | *nū* | *ne* | – | – | – | *nō* |
| *p-* | *pa* | *pā* | *pi* | – | *pu* | *pū* | *pe* | *pē* | – | *po* | *pō* |
| *m-* | *ma* | *mā* | *mi* | – | *mu* | *mū* | – | *mē* | – | – | *mō* |
| *y-* | *ya* | *yā* | *yi* | – | *yu* | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| *r-* | *ra* | *rā* | *ri* | – | *ru* | *rū* | – | – | *rai* | – | – |
| *l-* | *la* | *lā* | *li* | – | – | – | – | – | *lai* | – | – |
| *v-* | *va* | *vā* | *vi* | – | *vu* | – | *ve* | *vē* | *vai* | – | *vō* |
| *ḻ-* | *ḻa* | *ḻā* | *ḻi* | – | *ḻu* | – | – | – | *ḻai* | – | – |
| *ḷ-* | *ḷa* | *ḷā* | *ḷi* | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| *ṟ-* | *ṟa* | – | *ṟi* | – | *ṟu* | *ṟū* | – | – | *ṟai* | – | – |
| *ṉ-* | *ṉa* | *ṉā* | *ṉi* | – | – | *ṉū* | – | – | *ṉai* | – | – |

c27.s6.t2.23

Table 7.2. Distribution of consonant-vowels in the Early Tamil inscriptions in the Corpus.

c27.s6.t2.24

7.5.2.7 *Other consonantal clusters

c27.s6.t2.25

64 other clusters of two consonants each (other than geminates and homorganic nasal-stop clusters) can also occur (*Tol. Eḻu.* 23, 24, 26-29).

c27.s6.t2.26

Only 14 of these clusters are attested in the Corpus as noted in Table 7.1 and the examples thereunder. However, excepting **-yk-**, **-yt-**, **-lk-**, **-lv-** and **-ṉk-**, the rest occur in the Corpus only in the exceptional circumstances noted in the examples.

c27.s6.t2.27

Further, 2 clusters viz., **-yl** and **-lm-** not mentioned in *Tol.* occur in the Corpus. However, these clusters occur only in the exceptional circumstances noted in the examples.

c27.s6.t2.28

7.5.2.8 *Clusters of three consonants

c27.s6.t2.29

24 clusters of three consonants each can occur (*Tol. Eḻu.* 48).

c27.s6.t2.30

None of these is attested in the Corpus. However, **-ycc-** can be reconstructed in ***āycayaṉ*** (***āycca*** + ***ayyaṉ***) 'part of a personal name'.

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