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Who do you speak Tamil with?
"I use it at home mostly, I use it to communicate with my family and friends who know the language, it is used in my home and part of a community in my area" Biju"I speak Tamil with my wife, son, few friends who are doctors in the UK and also when I visit Hindu south Indian temples in London and Birmingham. There is also a tamil community of doctors in Wales where I currently reside who meet during festival occasions to celebrate together." Suresh"I use it at home and with other Tamil speakers." Raj"I don't speak very much of the language as I have become more accustomed to speaking in English." FarzanaAbout Tamil:
"Tamil is one of the oldest languages with vast amount of literature dating back to more than 2000 years ago and originating probably 4000 years ago." Suresh"It is a written language as well and has a very developed alphabet. It originates in Tamil Nadu in Southern India and is also spoken in Sri Lanka. Significant numbers of Tamils are also found in Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and in many European cities. As the English first settled in Madras, capital of Tamil Nadu when they arrived in India, some Tamil words have become incorporated in to English eg Pariah, Catamaran, Ayah." Raj"This language originates in Tamil Nadu, South India. It is also spoken in Sri Lanka." Farzana "This is a dravidian language. It is the root language such as Malayalam, Telengu and Kannada the South Indian Languages. Its origin is supposed to be more than 7000 years old according to historians and archaeologists. It is spoken by over 70 millions over the world. In the UK there are about 800,000 Tamils. It is a sweet language. It is both spoken and written in the world. There are some old literature of wisdom in this language and they are being translated in many foreign languages including English. The origin of this language can be traced to the ancient civilization of Mohande Jaro-Harappa in Pakistan." Dr C P ThiagarajahTamil in the UK today:
"There is a large group of Sri Lankan Tamils in Britain mostly living in London. There is two Tamil television channels based in London broadcasting to Europe as there is a significant migrant population of Tamils across Europe." Suresh |
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Elsewhere on BBCi
Elsewhere on the web
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What do you think about your local accent?
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95% of people in Northern Ireland think of themselves as having a moderately strong accent, compared to only 63% of people in the east of England.
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Tamil in the British Isles by Viv Edwards
Tamil belongs to the Dravidian family of languages and is spoken by well over 70 million people worldwide. Tamils have a long association with the British and words incorporated into English include pariah and catamaran. Tamil has an unbroken literary tradition dating back to the third century BC. The current writing system is believed to be about 1500 years old; 30 different letters run from left to right. There are, however, substantial differences between the spoken and the written languages.Tamil originated in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, but has subsequently spread to many parts of the world. Many Tamils migrated as indentured labourers in the nineteenth century to destinations which included Mauritius, South Africa, Fiji, Trinidad, Guyana, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.Many of the Tamils currently in the UK have come from Sri Lanka as refugees. Conflict between the Tamil minority and the Sinhalese majority led to the outbreak of civil war in 1983, and the death of tens of thousands of people on both sides. The highest proportion of Tamil speakers in the UK are found in London, particularly in the western boroughs of Brent, Harrow, Ealing and Merton. In a survey of languages spoken by school children in the capital in 2000, Tamil was ranked seventeenth. Tamil is used in the UK within the family and in religious celebrations. Two Tamil television channels based in London broadcast to the significant migrant communities of Tamils across Europe. Tamils can also read newspapers and an ezine in their language.
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