English words in spoken Tamil

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குறிப்பு: உங்கள் spoken englishஐ மேம்படுத்த விரும்பி இங்கு வந்திருந்தால் ஆங்கிலம் பேசப் பழகுவது எப்படி? பாருங்கள்.

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Everyone knows the Tamil equivalents for simple words like first, second, front etc., but we simply forget / ignore to say it in Tamil. This is an alarming trend which makes the next generation Tamil kids to think that these are Tamil words. And, they may end up forgetting / never knowing the meaning of முதல், இரண்டாவது, முன் etc., While there is a dedicated group of volunteers to translate even the latest technical terms in Tamil, it would be of no use if we don’t even care to speak the simple words in Tamil first.

I am trying to make a list of English words in spoken Tamil which could even be understood by an illiterate Tamil living in rural Tamilnadu. I am recollecting only those words which even my grandma in the village can understand. This would make us aware how adulterated the spoken Tamil is and help us avoid them wherever possible. At least, this would help a foreigner to make his stay in Tamilnadu easy 🙁

bus stop stand auto car first second calendar stove gas light bulb tv radio watch cylinder chain battery charger phone card police office train plane center gate match super cinema theater round doctor nurse teacher school note book leave medical tea coffee reserve advance bill current motor fuse line apple beet-root carrot beans petrol diesel lorry engine news cricket release jail election court station counselor engineer passport visa travels hotel parcel tailor glass tumbler plate paper pen pencil tourist balloon jeep tyre tube cycle chicken mutton antenna wire cable mobile cell taxi driver conductor minister military villain cut chair table bench charge van ticket English computer xerox meter liter silver shirt trouser button headmaster master peon collector officer road sorry thanks ambulance operation hospital control start money-purse
bank application college loan license test urine sugar dress pocket packet switch complaint case market late guest sir madam photo camera grinder mixer nighty banian factory mill rice account toilet bathroom kitchen call church tuition coaching ball decent traffic signal junction certificate seat board piece chalk scale box biscuit bottle belt puncture spoon bread studio ice cream orange token lottery prize

Let me know if there are more such words.

I tried compiling one such list for urban Tamils but it looked that i might end up writing a dictionary size list 🙁

When i watched the workers, elders in our village farm there wasn’t even a single English word in their speech. From cattle anatomy to crop physiology, they could express everything related to their life in 100% Tamil. Can we at least document 50% of our life in Tamil? They were illiterate, unexposed to urban cultures, satellite televisions and yet they are the store house of ancient Tamil words which are used rarely in towns. With the arrival of satellite televisions in rural India, it is of great concern that their influence on viewers can make the native dialects lose their purity. There is a definite need to document all the words in these dialects which are a rich source for language research.


Comments

32 responses to “English words in spoken Tamil”

  1. >> With the arrival of satellite televisions in rural India, it is of great concern that their influence on viewers can make the native dialects lose their purity.

    very true. also I feel words like bus, car, auto, plane, tv etc are ok. its words like sorry, teacher, school, collector, bank, calendar etc that are a cause for concern.

  2. I’ve compiled such a list myself. Have a look at it. You may want to add it in your ‘corpus’.

    சென்னைத் தமிழ் உச்சரிப்பு

  3. parasuram Avatar
    parasuram

    Please i need how to speak english. so i want grammer details and tamil meanings. kindly do the needful,

    Thanks,
    Parasuram.C

  4. Oh.. our Tamil ppl….. 🙁

    by the way in Sri Lanka, I think still we are using mostly Tamil words, except few words

  5. Ravishankar Avatar
    Ravishankar

    mayooresan – curently, the ratio of english words in spoken tamil in srilanka is less when compared to tamilnadu. but i think even in srilanka the ratio is slowly increasing which is a thing to worry. also, i think srilankan tamil uses more non-english and yet non-tamil words compared to tamilnadu. example: words like அபிவிருத்தி, பிரதானம்

    parasuram – please find a spoken english guide from your nearest book shop. Keep watching english programs in tv, radio etc., if your search for “spoken english” there are lot of tutorials in the web. for example, you can find one at http://www.freeenglishnow.com/
    above all, start speaking english without fearing that you will make mistakes. starting to speak is the first step to master any language. good luck.

  6. அபிவிருத்தி தமிழ் சொல் இல்லையா 🙁

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  9. ravishankar Avatar
    ravishankar

    sorry, i don know. will find out and tell sometime

  10. manimaran Avatar
    manimaran

    ennakku avvalava english pesa theriyadhu naan +2 mudichitu army join panittan aana ennakku english la peesanumnu romba aarvan naan eppadillam pdichha kuraintha neerathil english pessa kathukka mudiyum konchum mailla theriya padutha mudiuma.(eeadhenum pillai erundhal mannikkavum.)

  11. மணிமாறன், ஆங்கிலம் பேசப் பழகுவது எப்படி? என்று எழுதி இருக்கிறேன். உதவியாக இருக்கும் என்று நம்புகிறேன். நன்றி.

  12. SHARIFF Avatar
    SHARIFF

    i have finished my under graduation B.Com (C.A). Now i am working as a Junior assestant in a edcuational institution. but i am having little english i don’t know fluend english. now i am intrested to learn english how to speak with other in english. i am attend more and more interview they are says to improve my english knowledge. what can i do?

    1. I want to speak in englishwith others fluently. How can i learnI.

  13. balasubramanian Avatar
    balasubramanian

    i am balasubramanian i have completed B.com.Now i am doing M.com.then now i am learning Spoken English.Everyday i go to veta.i have completed 10clases .just i had grammar then i will make sentence indepentendly.but i cant fluently,because i have been arounding the circle of tamil people.but i will try in level best.one day i can speak english very well.its my ampition.you must learn english go to veta.then you can speak fluendly.

  14. Mohamedabdulla Avatar
    Mohamedabdulla

    Hi i am mohamedabdulla i am working saudiarabia ,native place pudukkottai i need veta spokenenglish book Please send me veta book Shop address

  15. A Blog for Short Films Avatar
    A Blog for Short Films

    Thanks Buddy

  16. Syed Asmath Basha Avatar
    Syed Asmath Basha

    I m syed asmath Basha working place dubai i need spoke to english in flutency for english

  17. senthilandavar Avatar
    senthilandavar

    I am senthilandavar.i completed mcom, iam learn english…

  18. speak to only tamil people, i no spoken english this time
    pls help you i learn spoken english

  19. M.Rajkumar Avatar
    M.Rajkumar

    Sir please tell me detail about what is the difference between preset perfect tense and simple past tense

  20. k.saravanakumar Avatar
    k.saravanakumar

    I am saravanan from udumalpet i want speak with well and good english what can i do

    1. சரவணக்குமார், ஆங்கிலம் பேசப் பழகுவது எப்படி? என்ற என் கட்டுரை உதவலாம். நன்றி

  21. jayanthi, ஆங்கிலம் பேசப் பழகுவது எப்படி? என்ற என் கட்டுரை உதவலாம். நன்றி

  22. karthik Avatar
    karthik

    hai ravi
    i am karthi i am workig in cummins engine techincian ,i am till data to stedeing vata & part time DEEE cours . But i can not wrting english woards spling mistek so nan ennapanuvathu plese repaly.
    thaks
    karthik

  23. SARAVANAN Avatar
    SARAVANAN

    HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH IN EASELY

  24. senthil Avatar
    senthil

    i speak in english so plesae help me sir -nothing for in english knowledge

  25. kalpana Avatar
    kalpana

    How to speak in English Fluently.please help me.

  26. How to speak in English Fluently.please help me.(translate tamil)

  27. Purna Avatar
    Purna

    hey!
    I am little upset that usage of tamil is getting low! what do u think the main reasons for this? reply me!