From: selvakum@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (C.R.Selvakumar - Electrical Engineering)
Subject: echo words, doublets, pair words
Keywords: echo words, doublets, pair words
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 19:17:42 GMT


In article <1992Aug27.154533.26782@menudo.uh.edu>, Venkatachalam Aruna  (Affable) writes:
> In article <BtnD8H.9Jn@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca> selvakum@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca  
> (C.R.Selvakumar - Electrical Engineering) writes:
> > 
> >        mUlai mudukku will be a doublet which in Tamil is called "iNai mozhi"
> >        such as "mutti mOthi" = "by hitting and banging", "azhuthu pulambi"
> >        ="weeping and wailing" etc. And these are different from Tamil
> >        doublets "kala kala enRu siriththaaL" = she laughed heartily 
> >        ( kala kala is known as olikuRippu) and this doublet is called
> >        irattaik kiLavi(??) in which the repeated word "kala" can not give
>  "irattaik kiLavi" is correct. Why such odd name?
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

               Thanks. Please see below.

> >        a meaning standing alone. [ In tamil ther is another uyiraana
> >        doublet such as Odi Odi uzhaiththaan.. where the repeated word
> >        "Odi" *can* stand alone and give meaning and there are numerous
>   They are called as "adukkuth thodar" in tamil.
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
            Thanks, please see below.

> >        anbudan
> >       Selva Selvakumar (selvakum@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca)
>       
> Cheers,
> Venkat
> --
> venkat@jetson.uh.edu                  | If you love something,set it free.
> venkat@menudo.uh.edu                  | If it comes back, it is yours.
> aruna@tree.egr.uh.edu(NeXT mails okay)| If it does not, it never was.
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> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     It is called irattai kiLavi because first it is a doublet ( irattai)
     and it is an expression/saying ( kiLavi). kiLaththal means to say,
     to speak. "kiLanthaan" = he said. Tholkaappiyar talks about kiLavi
     aakkam.  
            [ please don't get confused with ( or take it as digression)
              kizhavi = old lady; here the meaning of old lady comes about 
              because "kizhamai" means "urimai" or "right". Since a 
              kizhavi  has lived long on this earth she has "more right".
              In the expression "kizhavan kizhaththi" what is meant is
              " urimai uLLa oruvanum oruththiyum". The names of days in
              a week like "puthan kizhamai" refer to the fact that that
              day is supposed to be "puthan"'s day or puthanukku urimaiyaana
              naaL. ...]
     The tamil word kiLavi comes from Tamil root kiL > kiLa 
     where kiL = "to split", "to separate", "to pinch", "to branch"  
     Now you can think of many words from this "kiLai". In Tamil the
     l/L/zh changes will occur with changes in the nuances of meaning
     ( which of course can become in due course very different in
      meaning). An example is "kizhi" = tear, another is kili = fear.
     

  I would like to summarize the various doublet/pair words in Tamil


  [1]*same* words repated ( twice),but do not have any meaning appearing singly.
      This is irattaik kiLavi. These forms impart a dramatic/graphic quality
      of sense to the words.
      examples: kathiravan thaga thaga ena ezhunthaan (the sun rose thaga thaga)
                avaL kala kala ena siriththaaL ( she heartily laughed 'kala^2)
                thirudan thiru thiru ena muzhiththaan ..
             Please also recall that many of the doublets can be used as 
             !*verbs*! !
               avaL vandha pin vIdE kala-kalaththathu;
               udal kaaichchalaal ( due to fever) thaga-thagaththathu;
               avan nadanthaal nilamE kidu-kidukkum ...

              And ! noun-forms can be built too: example suRu-suRuppu.

 [2] *same* words repeated(twice), but the word has a well defined meaning and
     *can* be used singly. This is known as adukku thodar.
      Example : vizhunthu vizhundhu siriththaan. 
                Odi Odi uzhaiththaan
                thEdi thEdi alaindhEn
                padiththu padiththu chonnEn...
                   apart from these verbal forms of "vizhundhu, Odi.." we
                   also have other noun/adjective-type repetitions
                   Example: parunthu uyara uyara paranthathu ( the eagle
                            soared higher and higher.)
                            siRuka siRuka ( litle by little)
                            and so on...  

 [3] two *different* words used as a *pair* and both can stand alone and
     convey meaning.  This is known as 'iNai mozhi'. 
     Examples: thiruttu pirattu illaathavan ( one who has 
                   no devious ways - thiruttu= theft, pirattu=deviousness, 
                   cheating ). 
               mUttai- mudichchu , mutti-mOthi, azhuthu-pulambi ...and so on.
      Here too there are verbal and nounal(?) forms are available.

 [4] two *different* words used but the first one has a meaning and the second
     is called an echo word which merely rhymes with the prefix "ki" and has
     by itself no meaning but conveys a general meaning of "some such thing/
     action" and as valaNYar Asokan said which serves often the purpose of
     "diluting the specificity" among other things.
     
     Example: adichchiyo kidichchiyo
              maadu kIdu, aRivu-kiRivu, puththagam-kiththagam.... 

 [5] two *different* words are used and *both* are meaningless and are
      merely olikuRippu's at best. 
      Example: kichchu muchchu; sadu gudu, kadukku-mudukku(?)...

      Since the categories 4 and 5 don't seem to have some Tamil terms 
      to describe, valaNYar's can attempt to coin suitable terms.
      
       

anbudan
Selva Selvakumar

     

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