From: selvakum@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (C.R.Selvakumar - Electrical Engineering)
Subject: Telugu and Tamil
Keywords: Telugu and Tamil
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 05:11:34 GMT


Subject was: Re: ...... QWERTY keyboard designed by a tamilian ... ?

In article <1992Sep8.172955.14867@b30.ingr.com>, shiva@b30.ingr.com (Shiva Shivakumar) writes:
> [ some deleted] 
> Che che! How can you say that ? You should be put in an I-RUN cage and placed
> in a JOO. ..)
> 
> Mr. Kathiravan,
> 
> Do you know that the Telugu word for Tamizh is "aravam" meaning "unmusical".
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Contrast this with Baaradhiyaar's "Sundara telungu".
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

          In Tamil too "aravam" means "unqualified sound". "aaL aravam
          ketkuthu" means "there is some sound of someone moving/speaking".
          "aravam" means "gentle but unspecified sound"; Since Tamil
          does not use "harsh" sounds such as "kha", "jha" and such aspirated
          phonemes, it could have sounded bland to Telugus. It might have
          sounded "too gentle" or "too bland". 

          Further in Tamil "aravam" means snake and Tamils are known as
          snake worshippers ( Naaga Kanni and Siva, Muruga, Ranganatha
          worshippers) and this could have been another reason to call
          them as "aravam". [ snake signifies the spinal chord and
           the five-headed snake signifies the five senses; the snake
           on which the Krishna dancing or the snake which lies on Siva
           or near Muruga denote they are beyond ( conquered) the five
           senses....] 

          In any case, if as you say the Telugus think- Tamil as 
          "unmusical" ( due to bland and simple sounds) it certainly
          shows how Telugus received Tamil. It is sad that the wisdom, 
          beauty and the music of Tamil are not perceptible to Telugus but
          I feel if the Telugus pay more attention they might see the
          simplicity and the music of Tamil. If you know that music
          comes from simple sounds/notes you will begin to see the
          euphonious nature of Tamil. 

          Regarding Bharathiyaar's "Sundara Telungu" , it is certainly a
          "sORRu_patham" of Tamil's receptivity. [ soRRu_patham =
           a test of a single grain of rice to assess the right stage/level
           of cooking of a whole pot of rice. sORu=cooked rice,
          patham= right level/stage of cooking]. Bharathiyaar certainly
          stands testimony to the long line of poets of great receptivity.
          For a Tamil the
          words "Telugu" and "Telungu" will sound differently, the later
          being considered more euphonious. Tamils consider Telungu
          sweet. Please also know that the same Bharathiyaar had also sung
          "yaam aRintha mozhigaLilE Thamizh mozhi pol inithaavathu..kaaNOm"
          = Of all the languages I know I haven't found any as 
           euphonious (inithu) as Tamil anywhere !! 
           Even if you were to say that Tamil is "unmusical", I have
           no trouble in concurring with you that Telungu is sweet, 
           may be we have different ears (-: 
> 
> Talking about such feelings between communities that share racial, cultural
> and many other features, we should realize that the great Indian epic
> MaGaabaratham is nothing but a glorious description of fights between brothers.
> 
> Jagadisan Shivakumarulu


              (anbudan) Regards,
               Selva Selvakumar