Naṉṉūl mentions this work.1 It is superior to and more exhaustive than the Tivākaram. Many of its sections throw valuable light on the corresponding chapters of the Tivākaram. There are about 14,700 words in the first nine chapters alone. Besides these books, other books dealing with similar topics must have been written but none of them are now available.

The next available book was perhaps written during the rule of the famous Vijayanagar King, Krishna Deva Raya i.e., about 1520 A.D. The author was a Jain by name Maṇṭala-puruṭaṉ and the work is entitled Cūṭāmaṇi Nikaṇṭu. There are 12 sections and about 11,000 words are treated in the first 10 sections. Many words which had crept into Tamil during the time following the break up of the Chola Kingdom have been included. The author has used the Viruttam in preference to the cūttira, since it was easier to memorise. The work in its present form (the edition of Nāvalar) has 1197 stanzas but an old verse mentions only 1125; hence we have to concluded that the remaining 72 have been interpolated in later years. Here again, it is difficult to detect the interpolated in later verses. This work however is the most popular of the nikaṇṭus.

Native Lexiographical Works after the Advent of Europeans

Uri-c-col-nikaṇṭu by one Kāṅkēyaṉ is in the veṇpā style. Perhaps this work was composed was composed during the beginning of the 17th century. It has 287 stanzas divided into 12 divisions. It was first published in 1840 and later in 1858 at Pondicherry and Jaffna respectively.

Another work written during the 17th century is Kayātaram which has been published in 1939 and its author is Kayātarar.

Shortly after this work, came the other work in Kali-t-tuṟai called Pārati-tipam. It was by a Brahmin ascetic Paramānanda Bhārati. This was also composed during the 17th century, but towards the end of it. This work was not published.

1. Pavananti, Naṉṉūl, Cū. 460