The alphabetical order of arranging words was not unknown to the Tamils and attempts at this arrangement had been made even before Beschi. Besides Beschi was also not the first to use the word akarāthi to mean dictionary. Chidambara Rēvaṇa Siddhar in 1594 A.D. had compiled an Akarāthi-Nikaṇṭu as already pointed out. This was the first book of reference to use the alphabetical order.⁶ This alphabetical arrangement consisted in grouping together all the words commencing with a, then ā and continued like-wise till vau. The alphabetical arrangement ends here, and there is no further arrangement under individual letters after this. This goes by the name of “First-Letter Order”. Another work entitled Akarathi-Mōṉai-K-Kakarathi-Y-etukai by an unknown author may be dated earlier than Beschi’s work. Here, the author may be dated earlier than Beschi’s work. Here, the author has advanced a little more than Chindambara Rēvaṇa Siddhar and follows the alphabetical order till the second letter. Nevertheless, it was given to Beschi to use first the alphabetical order till the last letter of the word.

Nikaṇṭu in Tamil means dictionaries. Akarāti in the 16th century meant an alphabetical order. Rēvaṇa Siddhar called his work Akarāti-Nikaṇṭu and not akarāti to retain its meaning.

Beschi’s Caturakarāti was unique in another aspect also. Dictionaries like Tivākaram, Piṅkalantai and Cūṭamaṇi had given different meanings and synonyms in verses and frequently the explanation of words was as difficult as the word to be explained. Fr. Beschi in Caturakarāti explains words by means of simple common Tamil words which were easily comprehensible.

Several Catholic Missionaries had attempted earlier to prepare dictionaries in Tamil but only Beschi’s work has stood the test of time.

The dictionary Caturakarāti as the name signifies is divided into four parts. The dictionary proper forms the first section and contains words with different meanings, the second part deals

6. Tamil Lexican Vol. VI, History of Tamil Lexicography P. XXXIII