tamil
tamil — adjective
1. connected with the Tamil people, who come mainly from the state of Tamil Nadu in
connected with the Tamil people, who come mainly from the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India and from northern and eastern Sri Lanka, or with their language or culture.
The Tamil film industry in Chennai produces hundreds of new movies every year.
modifier: Tamil + noun (film industry)
Anjali's grandmother taught her how to make traditional Tamil sweets for Pongal.
collocation: traditional Tamil + noun
The museum has a large collection of ancient Tamil bronze statues from the Chola period.
Rania signed up for a Tamil language class at the community centre near her flat.
Tamil literature includes poetry and stories that go back more than two thousand years.
文法句型
Tamil + noun
用法筆記
Always capitalised. This adjective form is used before a noun, as in 'Tamil culture' or 'Tamil cuisine'.
tamil — noun
1. the Dravidian language used by Tamil communities across southern India (especial
the Dravidian language used by Tamil communities across southern India (especially Tamil Nadu), throughout Sri Lanka, and in diaspora populations around the globe.
Eli is taking a beginner Tamil course at the university this semester.
verb + Tamil: take a course in Tamil
The sign at the airport was written in English, Tamil, and Sinhala.
preposition: in Tamil (written/spoken in a language)
Many classical Tamil poems were composed more than two thousand years ago.
Christopher's grandfather taught him to read and write Tamil when he was a child.
Padma uses a language app to practise Tamil vocabulary for fifteen minutes each morning.
文法句型
speak / learn / write / read Tamil
用法筆記
When referring to the language, 'Tamil' is normally used without an article: 'She speaks Tamil' (not 'the Tamil'). Use 'the Tamil language' when a more formal style is needed.
常見錯誤
2. a person who belongs to the Tamil ethnic group, whose roots are in southern Indi
a person who belongs to the Tamil ethnic group, whose roots are in southern India or Sri Lanka and whose native language is Tamil.
Marco's history project focused on how Tamils settled in Southeast Asia centuries ago.
plural: Tamils (group reference)
The Tamils have a long tradition of classical dance called Bharatanatyam.
Elena interviewed a Tamil from Kuala Lumpur about her family's food traditions.
Ada's grandmother is a Tamil who moved to London in the nineteen-sixties.
Many Tamils in Singapore celebrate the festival of Thaipusam every year.
文法句型
a Tamil
the Tamils
用法筆記
The plural form is 'Tamils'. This sense is often used in phrases like 'the Tamil community' or 'Tamil diaspora' to refer to the group collectively.