(i) The remote
demonstrative - ƒ or a
(ii) The proximate demonstrative - …,
or i.
(ii) The frontal demonstrative - ‡ or
u. |
The mouth actually points, by its wide opening when producing the sound
ƒ, to a remote place or object in the opposite
direction; by the drawing back of the lips when producing the sound …,,
to a place or object in the lateral proximity; and by the protruding of
the lips when producing the sound u, to a place or object in the immediate
front of the speaker.
Thus, all the three demonstrative sounds
have originated in Tamil only as oral pointers, and with the exception
of the frontal demonstrative which has become obsolete, are unfailingly
performing their functions even to this day, while their derivatives in
other languages, especially in the West Aryan and Vedic Aryan, have become
so corrupted as to become not only inconsistent but also indistinct and
disguised.
All the vowels in Tamil seem to have originated
only in their long form, and become short later on during the Inflexional
stage of development of the language.
Tolkƒppiyam,
which is only a copy of earliesr grammatical works for the most part,
says
“ Ne——e‰ut
t„‰„ †re‰ut
torumo‰i” (43)
(Only the seven long vowels can serve as
mono-literal or monosyllabic words), and
“kuŠŠe‰ut
taindun mo‰iniŠai
bilav„.” (44)
(All the five short vowels cannot be perfect
words)
All the three demonstrative vowels occur
only in their long form, in the most ancient words or usage.
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