From: selvakum@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (C.R.Selvakumar - Electrical Engineering)
Subject: ammaa/appaa
Keywords: ammaa, appaa words
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 17:25:38 GMT

In article <9208261601.AA12853@ha06.eng.ua.edu>, bkannan@ha06.eng.ua.edu (Balaji Kannan) writes:
> 
> 
> selvakum@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (C.R.Selvakumar - Electrical Engineering) writes:
> 
> >      In Tamil there are many words for father and mother. appaa is not
> >       the only word for father. appaa is "viLi" (=calling, addressing)
> >       form of appan = father. But words aththan, achchan also mean
> >       father. MaaNikka_vaachagar often addresses ( in Thiruvaachagam)
> >       God as aththaa ( Oh Dear Father!) [ see his passionate praises
> >       "aththaa pORRi" ..). There are many families where father is
> >       addressed with love and respect as "aiyaa", "nayinaa" etc.
> 
>              "nayinaa", I have found is more often used by Telugu
>               speaking Tamils [yes, I guess that is a suitable
>               classification]. In Telugu also, nainaa gaaru is
>               used and means "appaa".
> 
>               But "nayinaa" is a part of the Pakkiri-lingo too.
>               Like in "inaa nainaa" or "inaa neena"

      It might be true that Tamil-speaking Telugus [ ( -: ] or  what you
      call telugu-speaking Tamils [ both do not mean anything negative to me]
      might be using naayina for father.

      But in tamil "naayinaa" means someone who is extremely respectable.
      Note the words naayanmaar ( remember 63 of them ), naayakan ( head,
      thalaivan), naayakkan ( padaith thalaivan ), naayaki ( thlaivi, like
      paadaki'singer' ), naayanakkaarar = naada-swara vidwaan since
      he plays the 'naayanam' the respectable and lead instrument often
      called "mangaLa vaadhyam" ( an oboe type instrument). There are 
      a coupe of more tamil words but don't have them at my mULai_vasam at
      present. From these usages and the fact that I know many (I'm not
          sure whether they are of Tamil/Telugu-speaking Tamils, although
          I vaguely remember that some malayalam-speaking persons also used
          naayinaa - can knowledgeable persons throw some light on this? ) 
      use nayinaa to address their father , I understand that naayina=father,
      'a respectable one' and this word is a good tamil word. 
       What you call Pakkiri-lingo is in fact high tamil (-:
      just like slum dwellers ask "meyyaavaa ?" which is truly a
      high tamil ( see even our brothers and sisters who are unfortunate to 
      live in slums use high tamil which some of our valaNYars might think
      as "ilakkiya thamizh" (-: (-:  )
      
> 
> >       The word thanthai for father appears to be a formal word for
> >       father.
> 
> 
>               "thanthai" is no more a vogue word. Just like "pop"
>                and "mom" are catching on [instead of father and mother]
>                so has appa and amma. 
> 
>               "father" and "mother" are getting formal :-)
                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

                      See! that's why western sidhaantham is not
                      suitable for thamizh paNpaadu *sometimes*. So listen to
                      Tamil ammaa and appaa , (thaai thanthai pEchchai
                      kEL !) then "father" and "mother" will not become
                      formal (-: 
>                
> 
>          anbudan,
>          BK

                   anbudan
                   Selva Selvakumar