Lesson - 5

A02125: பெயரெச்சம், வினையெச்சம்

Incomplete forms of verbs are used in adjectival and adverbial positions in Tamil. In the noun phrase உண்ட பையன் the verb உண் in its past tense form plays the role of an adjective. உண்டு வந்தான் is a Tamil expression for ‘He came after eating food’. In this case the verb உண் in its past tense form functions as an adverb. These adjectival and adverbial verbs are called ‘பெயரெச்சம்’ and ‘வினையெச்சம்’ respectively. This lesson deals with the structure of these two non-finite forms of Tamil verbs.

The methods of using these incomplete forms in sentences can be understood in three units in this lesson. The first unit explains the incomplete forms and distinguishes it from finite verbs. The classification of these forms is also presented in this unit.

How these incomplete forms are arranged in Tamil expressions can be understood from this lesson. The relationship between the incomplete forms and the meaning is an important aspect here.

What sort of words can have adjectivals and adverbials is also explained. Both these forms indicate the time sense in several ways.

In positive and negative expressions both the incomplete forms provide meaning by different means. Such methods of expressing clear and specific meaning through the incomplete forms are described and illustrated in this lesson.

Adjectives qualify the nouns indicating the actor, the instrument, the place, the action, the time and the grammatical object. Time is indicated by the link forms and the endings. Similarly, adverbials use different formulas and word-forms. Both the incomplete forms can express negation, continuation and interpolation.