Re: [WMASTERS] Selvaa's suggestions

["C.R. Selvakumar" <selvakum@valluvar.uwaterloo.ca>]

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@The fact is, a font has to include whatever is conventionally used.  Selvaa
@realizes this, and so has included the grantha characters.  His suggestions
@are interesting, and obviously if they are adopted by most people, we'll
                                                                    ~~~~~
@all get used to them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

       Then why don't we use ? If you use it in a mere 20-30 times
       we'll see how 'natural' it is. It is only for non-tamil words.
       Try writing Jagannaathan or Jaanaki in the new way a few times
       and we'll quickly grasp that it is not that terrible
@
@I guess my only thought is: what is so terrible about a few grantha
@characters?  They are more economical than Selvaa's scheme, and we are all
@used to them.  I confess to a slight case of nostalgia: grantha (the whole
@alphabet) is an extremely elegant and beautiful writing system.  I'd hate
@to see it disappear without a trace.  There is a tendency to see grantha as
@a North-Indian imposition on Tamil.  This, in my view, is wrong -- the
@disappearance of grantha is a consequence, not a manifestation, of North
@Indian hegemony.  Grantha is a treasure that Tamils should appreciate --
@it's part of their culture.  For example, many old Tamil inscriptions
@(usually written by non-Brahmins, I believe) use grantha (of all sorts)
@quite heavily.  Do we have to totally kill this beautiful old writing
@system?  Another nail in the coffin of Southern culture.....  George Hart.
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     So if we don't use a few granthas that will be another nail in the
     Southern culture, is it ?!!! I'm really surprised prof Hart.

     Prof. Hart, the resourcefulness of the people, the econommic affluence,
     their awareness of their culture and such things decide the
     future of tamils. If 30% of Tamils get educated ( with reasonable
     awareness of their rich traditions of music, dance, literature
     and their numerous arts and sports) and take a sensible approach to
     absorbing other sports, and nurture their native talents in
     observing nature and developing scientific spirit etc. the 50-60
     million tamils and similarly other southern people ( or indians)
     will flourish. As I've said I'm not averse to a few granthas, but
     attempts to describe the way you do really surprise me.
     The main opposition to granthas is due to the danger of indescriminate
     use of those in tamil and how such use undermines the development of
     tamil. I'll post on this later. [ Aside, Prof. Hart you said
     that people are not going to change quickly from ciikiram 
     to viraivu in a posting. Many tamils use 'catt'unnu vaa' or
     'curukka vaa' 'maLaar'nnu vaa' etc. and words like 'cat' has
     given rise to 'caduthi' and they make connection with other
     tamil words and thus nurtures our language. Whereas foreign words
     most often get stuck like plastic in a soil and we want to minimize
     its use not for any puritanical reasons but more for the better
     growth potential of native language.... lots more need to be said..
     but I got to go now...]

     anbudan selvaa
   
       



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