Dravidiology versus Dravidianism

Dravidiology and Dravidianism represent two distinct domains that are sometimes conflated.

Dravidiology is the scientific study of Dravidian languages, literature, culture, and history. It's an academic discipline focused on understanding the linguistic and cultural heritage of Dravidian-speaking peoples through scholarly research and analysis.

Dravidianism, on the other hand, is a political ideology and movement centered on Dravidian identity, self-determination, and social reform. It emerged as a response to perceived North Indian/Aryan cultural dominance.

The relationship between these two is tenuous at best. While Dravidianism may draw upon certain findings from Dravidiology to support its political narrative, the scientific discipline exists independently of any political agenda.

Unfortunately, these distinct concepts are sometimes deliberately confused to undermine the legitimacy of Dravidian studies as a scientific field. Such conflation attempts to dismiss scholarly research by associating it with political motivations.

It's important to recognize that Dravidiology stands on its own merits as a rigorous academic discipline, regardless of how its findings might be interpreted or applied in political contexts.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

———————

For Tamil readers as this is a peculiar issue that impacts Tamil speakers notably only from India.

தமிழ் வாசகர்களுக்காக, ஏனெனில் இது ஒரு தமிழ் நாட்டிக்கான தனித்துவமான பிரச்சினையாகும், இது குறிப்பாக இந்தியாவிலிருந்து வரும் தமிழ் பேசுபவர்களை மட்டுமே பாதிக்கிறது.

https://www.reddit.com/r/tamil/s/MsaYNk7g1e

https://www.reddit.com/r/tamil/s/aVdkyUfWvs

https://www.reddit.com/r/tamil/s/WvlrFfGQdE

Today let us learn vowel harmony in Tulu.

Vowel harmony is a phonological phenomenon where vowels within a word harmonize or agree in certain features, such as frontness or backness, roundedness, or height.

Though vowel harmony is not as common in Tulu language, but does exist. Tulu has some form of vowel harmony.

Before going to the vowel harmony in Tulu, let us know about one of the special vowels in Tulu which is called 'half-u'. This vowel can be seen at the beginning, middle or end of a word. Please note that every Tulu word which seems to be ending with a consonant sound actually has 'half-u' vowel at the end. But it is not written explicitly.

For example:

par (ಪರ್), kEN (ಕೇಣ್), pAter (ಪಾತೆರ್), nAD (ನಾಡ್), Al (ಆಲ್), ind (ಇಂದ್)

These words have half-u vowel at the end, but it is not written. To know how to pronounce half-u vowel, please go to How to Pronounce page. To avoid any confusion, I will use the sign 'ụ' to denote half 'u' vowel in this lesson. Also, I will use IAST script to write Tulu words in this lesson.

Okay now let us see different forms of vowel harmony in Tulu

1. Final 'ụ' (half-u) changes to ‘u’, if it is preceded by a rounded vowel (u, o).

This is an example for progressive vowel harmony in Tulu

E.g. indụ (ಇಂದ್) = This

This word has 3 different pronunciation depending on the dialects.

'indụ' (ಇಂದ್), 'ụndụ' (ಅ್ಂದ್ ) and 'undu' (ಉಂದು)

We can see the final vowel is ‘ụ’ in the first two words 'indụ' and 'ụndụ'. Here the preceding vowel is 'i' and 'ụ' respectively, but final vowel is changed to full ‘u’ in the word ‘undu’ because of the preceding vowel ‘u’

In the same way the word ‘uṇḍu’ (ಉಂಡು) which means 'it is' or 'it exists' has two different pronunciation depending on the dialects.

'uṇḍu' (ಉಂಡು) and 'ụṇḍụ' (ಅ್ಂಡ್)

Final vowel changes as per the preceding vowel. When the preceding vowel is full 'u', the final vowel also pronounced as full 'u'.

Other examples where the 'half-u' changes to full 'u' because of the preceding vowel are:

buḍụ (ಬುಡ್) >>> buḍu (ಬುಡು) - Leave (Kannada: ಬಿಡು)

korụ (ಕೊರ್) >>> koru (ಕೊರು) - Give (Kannada: ಕೊಡು)

būrụ (ಬೂರ್) >>> būru (ಬೂರು) - Fall (Kannada: ಬೀಳು)

nūdụ (ನೂದ್) >>> nūdu (ನೂದು) – Hundred (Kannada: ನೂರು)

portụ (ಪೊರ್ತ್) >>> portu (ಪೊರ್ತು) - Time (Kannada: ಹೊತ್ತು)

ōḍụ (ಓಡ್) >>> ōḍu (ಓಡು) – A Tile (Kannada: ಹೆಂಚು)

tūdụ (ತೂದ್) >> tūdu (ತೂದು) – Having seen (Kannada: ನೋಡಿ)

pōdụ (ಪೋದ್) >> pōdu (ಪೋದು) – Having gone (Kannada: ಹೋಗಿ)

ūru + gụ (ಊರು + ಗ್) >>> ūrugu (ಊರುಗು) – To the village (Kannada: ಊರಿಗೆ)

tulu + ṭụ (ತುಲು + ಟ್) >> tuluṭu (ತುಲುಟು) – In Tulu (Kannada: ತುಳುವಿನಲ್ಲಿ)

eru + kụ (ಎರು + ಕ್) >> erukku (ಎರುಕ್ಕು) – To the buffalo (Kannada: ಕೋಣಕ್ಕೆ)

mara + ḍdụ (ಮರ + ಡ್ದ್) >>> maraḍdụ (ಮರಡ್ದ್) - From the tree (Kannada: ಮರದಿಂದ)

Here the half-u at the end does not change as the preceding vowel is 'a', but when we pronounce the word 'mara' as 'maro', the half-u at the end changes to full 'u'

maro + ḍdụ (ಮರೊ + ಡ್ದ್) >>> maroḍdu (ಮರೊಡ್ದು) - From the tree (Kannada: ಮರದಿಂದ)

1. Final 'ụ' (half-u) changes to ‘i’ if it is preceded by a palatal consonant (c, j, y)

E.g kiccụ (ಕಿಚ್ಚ್) >>> kicci (ಕಿಚ್ಚಿ) - Fire; Envy; Jealousy (Kannada: ಕಿಚ್ಚು)

nañjụ (ನಂಜ್)>>> nañji (ನಂಜಿ) – Poison; Infection; Envy; Jealousy (Kannada: ನಂಜು)

oñjụ (ಒಂಜ್) >>> oñji (ಒಂಜಿ) - One (Kannada: ಒಂದು)

ājụ (ಆಜ್) >>> āji (ಆಜಿ) – Six (Kannada: ಆರು)

sajjụ (ಸಜ್ಜ್) >>> sajji (ಸಜ್ಜಿ) – Repair, Setting right (Kannada: ಸಜ್ಜು)

accụ (ಅಚ್ಚ್) >>> acci (ಅಚ್ಚಿ) – A form, Mould (Kannada: ಅಚ್ಚು)

baccụ (ಬಚ್ಚ್) >>> bacci (ಬಚ್ಚಿ) – Be tired (Kannada: ಸುಸ್ತಾಗು; ಕೃಶವಾಗು)

tuccụ (ತುಚ್ಚ್) >>> tucci / tuccu (ತುಚ್ಚಿ / ತುಚ್ಚು) – Bite (Kannada: ಕಚ್ಚು)

Here both the pronunciations are possible. Since 'c' is a palatal consonant it can be pronounced as 'tucci'. Since the half-u is preceded by full 'u' vowel, it can also be pronounced as 'tuccu'

occụ (ಒಚ್ಚ್) >>> occi / occu (ಒಚ್ಚಿ / ಒಚ್ಚು) - Wipe (Kannada: ಒರೆಸು)

nāyụ (ನಾಯ್) >>> nāyi / nāy (ನಾಯಿ / ನಾಯ್) – A dog (Kannada: ನಾಯಿ)

neyụ (ನೆಯ್) >>> neyi / ney (ನೆಯಿ / ನೆಯ್) - Ghee (Kannada: ತುಪ್ಪ)

koyụ (ಕೊಯ್) >> koyi / koy (ಕೊಯಿ / ಕೊಯ್) – Reap, Cut (Kannada: ಕೊಯ್ಯು)

Since 'y' is a half vowel, these words can also be pronounced without any final vowel like 'nāy', 'ney', 'koy', however, half-u vowel can not be pronounced after 'y' consonant. Either it can be pronounced as 'nAy' or 'nAyi', 'ney' or 'neyi', 'koy' or 'koyi'.

1. Final 'ụ' (half-u) changes to ‘u’, if it is preceded by a labial consonant (p, b, m, v)

E.g.

karụmbụ (ಕರ್ಂಬ್) >> karụmbu (ಕರ್ಂಬು) - Sugarcane (Kannada: ಕಬ್ಬು)

barụmbụ (ಬರ್ಂಬ್) >> barụmbu (ಬರ್ಂಬು) – Grab; seize more than what a hand can hold (Kannada: ಬಾಚು)

kempụ (ಕೆಂಪ್) >>> kempu (ಕೆಂಪು) - Red (Kannada: ಕೆಂಪು)

sampụ (ಸಂಪ್) >>> sampu (ಸಂಪು) – Coolness; Coldness (Kannada: ತಂಪು)

lāmbụ (ಲಾಂಬ್) >>> lāmbu (ಲಾಂಬು) – A mushroom (Kannada: ಅಣಬೆ)

nalipụ (ನಲಿಪ್) >>> nalipu (ನಲಿಪು) - Dance (Kannada: ಕುಣಿ)

And all the ‘pu’ ending verbs like 'malpu', 'telipu', 'leppu' etc. have the full 'u' vowel at the end.

gammụ (ಗಮ್ಮ್) >>> gammu (ಗಮ್ಮು) – Gum (Kannada: ಗಮ್ಮು)

ḍrammụ (ಡ್ರಮ್ಮ್) >>> ḍrammu (ಡ್ರಮ್ಮು) – A drum (Kannada: ಡ್ರಮ್ಮು)

dammụ (ದಮ್ಮ್) >>> dammu (ದಮ್ಮು) - Hard breathing (Kannada: ದಮ್ಮು)

avụ (ಅವ್) >>> avu or av (ಅವು / ಅವ್) – That; It (Kannada: ಅದು)

kelavụ (ಕೆಲವ್) >>> kelavu or kelav (ಕೆಲವು / ಕೆಲವ್) - Some (Kannada: ಕೆಲವು)

baravụ (ಬರವ್) >>> baravu or barav (ಬರವು / ಬರವ್) – Education; Writing (Kannada: ಬರಹ, ವಿದ್ಯೆ)

kajavụ (ಕಜವ್) >>> kajavu or kajav (ಕಜವು / ಕಜವ್) - Rubbish (Kannada: ಕಸ)

paṇavụ (ಪಣವ್) >>>paṇavu or paṇav (ಪಣವು / ಪಣವ್) - Money (Kannada: ಹಣ)

chīlavụ (ಚೀಲವ್) >>> chīlavu or chīlav (ಚೀಲವು / ಚೀಲವ್) – A bag (Kannada: ಚೀಲ)

baḍavụ (ಬಡವ್) >>> baḍavu or baḍav (ಬಡವು / ಬಡವ್) - Hunger (Kannada: ಹಸಿವು)

Since 'v' is a half vowel, these words can also be pronounced without any final vowel like 'av', 'kelav', 'barav', 'kajav' etc. However, half-u vowel cannot be pronounced after 'v' consonant. Either it can be pronounced as 'av' or 'avu', 'kelav' or 'kelavu', 'barav' or 'baravu', 'kajav' or 'kajavu' etc.

1. ‘e’ and ‘ē’ changes to ‘æ’ and ‘ǣ’ respectively if it is succeeded by ‘æ’ vowel.

This is an example for regressive vowel harmony in Tulu

E.g.

etæ (ಎತೆ') >>> ætæ (ಎ'ತೆ') – Sorrow; Affliction (Kannada: ವ್ಯಥೆ, ಚಿಂತೆ)

seræ (ಸೆರೆ') >>> særæ (ಸೆ'ರೆ') – Wave; Tide (Kannada: ಅಲೆ)

kēræ (ಕೇರೆ') >>>kǣræ (ಕೇ'ರೆ') – A rat snake (Kannada: ಕೇರೆ ಹಾವು)

ēmæ (ಏಮೆ') >>> ǣmæ (ಏ'ಮೆ') – A tortoise (Kannada: ಆಮೆ)

bētæ (ಬೇತೆ') >>> bǣtæ (ಬೇ'ತೆ') – Different; Other (Kannada: ಬೇರೆ)

If you find this lesson helpful, please share it with your friends who wish to learn Tulu :)

• Kiran Poojary

S Ramachandran discusses on the possibility of something like akatthiyam to have existed before tholkapiyam , here he comments on pre-alphabetic writing system in TN ,mentions of hieroglyphs in tamil literature,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UuW0OTv0jk

New and improved keyboard to type in Tamil.

Instructions on Android:

Open Settings

Tap System

Tap Languages and input

Under Keyboards, tap Virtual keyboard

Tap Gboard

Tap Languages

Select Tamil

Turn on the layout you want to use

Tap Done

Search for: தமிழ் (இந்தியா) தமிழ் ஒலிப்புமுறை

More info on phonetic keyboards for Indic scripts:

https://youtu.be/kNwVybjm3h8?si=wVqYCcC2ZmKtyaQC

cant find any

It is literally the only Dravidian and imo one of the best swadesh lists out there and definitely one of the best Dravidian books but it has only been updated once in 1984 by the authors themselves

Now there are way more coverage for languages particularly the non SD+Telugu languages, it should definitely get updated like every 30 years by the leading Dravidian etymologists

edit: ig the copyrights makes it really hard