Tholkaapiyam AI Chatbot

தொல்காப்பியம் கற்கும் துணை

Explore the ancient wisdom of Tamil grammar through our interactive AI guide. Learn about the foundational text of Tamil literature, composed between 300 BCE and 300 CE.

1610 Sutras
3 Books
27 Chapters

About Tholkaapiyam

Historical Significance

The oldest extant Tamil grammar text and the oldest long work of Tamil literature, serving as the foundation for all subsequent Tamil grammatical works.

Author & Dating

Traditionally attributed to Tolkappiyar, a disciple of sage Agastya. Modern scholars date it between 300 BCE to 300 CE during the Sangam period.

Structure

Organized into three main books (Atikaram) with 9 chapters each, containing a total of 1,610 sutras (aphoristic verses).

Cultural Impact

Preserves ancient Tamil linguistic traditions and serves as a bridge between oral and written literary traditions.

The Three Books

Eluttu (எழுத்து)

483 Sutras

Phonology & Orthography

Deals with the sounds of Tamil language, their production, and combinations.

  • Tamil phonemic inventory (5 short vowels, 5 long vowels, 17 consonants)
  • Sound production and articulation
  • Punarchi (sound combinations)
  • Orthographic rules and Sandhi

Sol (சொல்)

463 Sutras

Etymology & Morphology

Covers word formation, meaning, grammar rules, and linguistic geography of Tamil.

  • Word formation and etymology
  • Grammatical categories and morphology
  • Twelve dialectical regions of Tamil
  • Compound words and classification

Porul (பொருள்)

664 Sutras

Prosody & Poetics

Focuses on literary theory, poetry classification, and the art of composition.

  • Akam (love/interior) and Puram (heroism/exterior) poetry
  • Five landscapes (Tinai) system
  • Prosody and meter
  • Literary devices and rhetoric

Akam & Puram Poetry Classification

Akam (அகம்) - Interior Poetry

Deals with personal emotions, love relationships, and interior human experiences

Five Landscapes (Tinai):
  • Kurinji (குறிஞ்சி) - Mountains - Sexual union
  • Mullai (முல்லை) - Forest - Patient waiting
  • Marutam (மருதம்) - Fertile land - Lovers' quarrel
  • Neytal (நெய்தல்) - Seashore - Separation anxiety
  • Palai (பாலை) - Desert - Separation

Puram (புறம்) - Exterior Poetry

Focuses on war, heroism, ethics, kings, and societal values

Main Themes:
  • Warfare and battle descriptions
  • Royal praise and heroic deeds
  • Social ethics and moral values
  • Patronage of arts and learning
  • Political and social commentary

Ask the AI About Tholkaapiyam

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Vanakkam! I'm your guide to understanding Tholkaapiyam (தொல்காப்பியம்), the ancient foundation of Tamil grammar and literature. This remarkable text, composed between 300 BCE and 300 CE, consists of three main sections covering phonology, morphology, and poetics. What would you like to explore today?

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Interactive Learning

Basics

Eluttu (Phonology)

Sol (Morphology)

Porul (Poetics)

Glossary

Sutra (நூற்பா)

Aphoristic verse containing grammatical rules

Tinai (திணை)

Landscape-based classification system in poetry

Punarchi (புணர்ச்சி)

Combination or joining of sounds/letters

Ilakkanam (இலக்கணம்)

Grammar or grammatical rules

Sangam (சங்கம்)

Ancient Tamil literary academy

Agastya (அகத்தியர்)

Legendary sage, teacher of Tolkappiyar