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The Jaffna Tamil dialect is a Tamil dialect native to the Jaffna Peninsula and is the primary dialect used in Northern Sri Lanka.[1] The Jaffna Tamil dialect has a very similar intonation to Malayalam.[2] Both preserve certain archaic words and phonemes which have gone out of vogue in most dialects of Indian Tamil. Consequently many consider the Jaffna dialect to be a more conservative form of Tamil.[3]

Jaffna Tamil
யாழ்ப்பாணத் தமிழ்
Native to	Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Region	Jaffna
Ethnicity	Sri Lankan Tamils
Native speakers	2 million (2012 census)
Language family	Dravidian Southern Tamil Old Tamil Middle Tamil Jaffna Tamil
Writing system	Tamil script, Vatteluttu
Language codes
ISO 639-3	–

Although, audibly, quite distinct from the spoken Tamil dialects of Tamil Nadu, it nevertheless shares a similar standard written Tamil as Tamil Nadu, but is not always mutually intelligible in colloquial forms. Similarly, Sri Lankan Tamil dialects are not mutually intelligible with Malayalam too.

A subdialect retained by the Paraiyar people of Kayts still retains a number of archaic words and Prakrit loans not found in any other dialects of Tamil. These drummers had historically played an important role as ritual players of drums at funerals and folk temples and as heralds and traditional weavers. They also maintained the family records of their feudal lords and even practised medicine and astrology in folk traditions[4]

History

The Jaffna district is very close to South India, being separated by a narrow stretch of sea called the Palk Strait. In spite of the continual contact with India by sea, Sri Lankan Tamils have over the centuries become a distinct people developing dialects that differ in several aspects from the Indian Tamil dialects.[5] The Jaffna Tamil dialect is also distinct to a lesser extent from that of the Eastern, Western and Upcountry Tamil dialects of Sri Lanka.[6]

Pronunciation

Devoicing of [h] occurs in the Jaffna dialect, the voiceless plosives of the Jaffna dialects represent an antique feature of the pre-Sangam period. The Jaffna pronunciation [nitka]>[nikka] for nirka “to stand’ is likely to preserve the ancient plosive nature of /r/, which in colloquial middle Tamil inscriptions is already confounded with the dental trill in this position.[7]

See also

• Sri Lankan Tamil dialects
• Batticaloa Tamil dialect
• Negombo Tamil dialect

References

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