Kongu Tamil

Kongu Tamil or Cheras Tamil is the dialect of Tamil language that is spoken by the people in Kongu Nadu, which is the western region of Tamil Nadu. It is originally known as "Kangee"`[1] or "Kongalam"[2] or "Kongappechu or Kongu bashai or Coimbatore Tamil".

Kongu Tamil
கொங்கு தமிழ் tamiḻ
Native toTamil Nadu - Kongu Nadu Region
Native speakers
Kongu People
Tamil script
Official status
Official language in
 India (Tamil Nadu)
Language codes
ISO 639-3–
GlottologNone
Distribution of native Tamil speakers in India and Sri Lanka

Etymology

Kongu is a synonym for Honey-like. Also,'Ganga' may be the source for the name. Kongu Nadu is land of Gangas. Gangeya (Kaangeyam) and Ganganadu are alternative historical names for certain towns in the Kongu region.

Variations

The speciality of Kongu Tamil is the use of the alveolar ற - Tra/Dra (as in the English word track) instead of retroflex T/D (ட) of standard Tamil. For example, 'ennuDaya' (mine) of standard Tamil is pronounced enRa in the Kongu dialect. However, only Coimbatore district people use this. Additionally the use of guttural nasal (ங்) that sounds "ng" as in the English word Gang, is more prevalent in Kongu Tamil, leading to situations where the grammar of Kongu Tamil would not fit into the grammar of standard Tamil (as laid down in authoritative treatises like Tolkappiyam and Nannool). One of the examples is the use of ங் to end a word like வாங் "vaang", means 'come' expressed in a respectful tone, which in standard Tamil would be "vaanga". Also this is observed in the Kangayam, Dharapuram area. Both of these are stereotyping Kongalam with regional, professional variations.

Kongu Tamil also uses certain Tamil words that are unique to Kongu region and are not used in standard Tamil.

Areas spoken

The Kongu Tamil dialect is heavily spoken by Kongu people in Coimbatore district, Nilgiris district, Tirupur district, Karur district, Erode district, Dindigul district, Namakkal district, Salem district, Dharmapuri district, Krishnagiri district, and parts of Kallakurichi district, Trichy district, Palakkad District and Chamrajnagar district.

References
  1. Severine Silva (1963). Toponomy of Canara. p. 34. In the southern part of Mysore the Tamil language is at this day named the Kangee, from being best known to them as the language of the people of Kangiam
  2. F. Poezold, William Simpson (1809). Tamil̲umaiṅakilēcumāyirukakir̲a akarāti. Oxford University.
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