Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c27.s9.t1.1

c27.s9.t1.1

The addition of *-i* or *-y* at the end of words is provided for in *Tolkāppiyam* (*Eḻu*. 58). While the traditional example that *nāy* 'dog' may be written as *nā i* or *nāyi* is not supported by literary evidence, there is inscriptional evidence for the addition of the paragogic suffixes *-i* or *-y* after nouns ending in *-i* or *-ai*. This seems to be the true import of the rule cited above.