Re: [WMASTERS] Standard

[Anukanth Anumanthan <anuman@mbcrr.harvard.edu>]

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On Thu, 2 Oct 1997, George Hart wrote:

> 
> I wrote:
> 
> *This is to everyone -- myself, Selva, Hal, Bala, even Anu if he cares to
> *listen.
> 
> Sorry, Muthu, Srinivasan, Kalyan, and everyone else -- I didn't mean to
> leave out anyone's name.  But let's get moving!  So many people have
> contributed, and we all have one aim: to get a standard that we can use.
> GH.
> 

	Sure, George, I am listening. 

	In setting up a standard we may have to take it into  account
	the sentiment of tamil nadu people.  After all it is their
	language in the first place.  We struggled a lot, George, 
	to save this tamil from the onslaught of various Indian and 
	foreign languages.  Otherwise we would not be tlking here.
	The wealth of 10000 yrs old literature were kept in tact
	in tamilnadu, not in any other place.  But for tamilnadu
	tamils' enormous love for tamil, those literature would
	have been lost.  There may not be anything to take pride
	now.  In the last 40 yrs on various occasions we have been
	beaten up by polce.  We shed our blood.  We worked night
	and day.  We did not care for our personal life. All to save
	tamil not to let it die.

	Now, we are netring a new world.  We may have to make
	changes in tamil, if it can not catch up speed.  That is
	when a group of people including myself proposed that
	we should use foreign words that have been naturally used
	in tamil.  We are not as against as "tamil purists".
	Our opinion is that the tamil purists may not realise
	how time consuming it is going to be to replace all
	those words that have been naturally used in tamil.
	That where I took Tholkappiyam and its definition of tamil
	words into four, including foreign words and tamilised 
	foreign words.

	But this view definitely differe from the views who suggest the
	inclusion of foreign sounds.  I support the intermediate views,
	i.e., we can use those words which can be written with tamil
	sound and do not have equivalent tamil words.  e.g.
	
	Kaappi for Coffee.  tamil purists are those who suggest
	something like what you wrote in an earlier mail
	"Kottai vadi neer".  Sanskrit lovers and those who believe
	in bringing foreign sounds into tamil say that we have to
	bring in sound "f" into tamil and write "Coffee" as such.

	I hope you and other tamil net members would understand
	the views of this intermadiate group.  The views of this
	intermediate group itself is facing tough resistance
	from tamil purists.  Although I differ from the views of
	those tamil purists, I respect their love for tamil.

	In tamil sangam meetings I have even narrated a story
	to make them understand pure love alone will not do
	good to any one.  Now, in tamil net, since most of them
	approach this whole issue on the scientific basis,
	I had to play the opposing role. i.e. bring in the sentimental
	part of this issue.  Once can not act like a machine or like
	an animal.  We need to have balanced views of both.  It is
	not ony a compromise but also a doable thing. 

	That is"  create new words with tamil sound.  In doing so take
	foreign words as much as we can if they can be written with
	tamil sound.  Other wise coin new words.  For transliterating
	foreign names or sanskritised tamils' names, modify them
	as much as we can and write them in tamil sounds.

	You can never write "Pzani", "Ariyap pdai kadantha neduncheziyam",
	"thoNdaimAn Ilanthiraiyan", karikaal chOza peRuvaLaththAn"
	in any other languages in the world.  Just because we have those
	unique sounds no other language is going to take up these sounds
	in their language.  Therefore we have no other alternative but to 
	write as "palani" in english.  And there are innumerable sounds
	of other languages which can not be written in english.  If some body
	is going to bring in foreign sounds into English, how many we can
	bring in?  It is going to be an endless game.  This argument holds
	absolutely to tamil also.  We can not bring in foreign sounds into
	tamil. If we, then the question would arise what are those? and
	why are those and why not more? and where we could stop? like that.

	Fortunately, you are not witnessing the tamil purists in this forum.
	There is absolutely none in this forum.  Most of them may not 
	computer and hence they do not know what is happening here.
	But, eventually when it goes to tamil nadu you will see all our
	efforts will stand still because of their resistance.  They are not
	minority.  Infact people with view of accepting sanskrit sound
	into tamil is minority.  That is real world.

	Please, understand that what we are trying to solve is a real 
	world problem.  It is not just computer and  science and 
	technology.  We have to consider all the ethical, sentimental,
	feelings and belief fo the real world tamil people.

	That is what Kathir and Mani tried to explain.  We have to do 
	something that would survive and be accepted by the people.

	One speach like Mark Antony's will turn the crowd upside down.
	It is not Shaksepere, it is the truth about real world.

	The decision is yours.

	If you do not like my opposing views, and if you feel that 
	it would do good if I optout from this discussion, I would
	happily do so.  Please let me know.


	With regards,

	Anu.
 
	

	




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