What are the major differences between the old Tamil language and the modern Tamil language?

The major differences between Old Tamil and Modern Tamil include changes in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, with Old Tamil having more complex sentence structures and a larger influence from Sanskrit, while Modern Tamil is simpler, with more influence from English and other languages.

Old Tamil (also known as Classical Tamil) and Modern Tamil have undergone significant changes over the centuries. Here are some major differences:

Phonological Changes

1. *Loss of distinction between alveolar and dental consonants*: In Old Tamil, alveolar and dental consonants were distinct, but in Modern Tamil, they have merged.

2. *Changes in vowel pronunciation*: Some vowels have shifted in pronunciation, such as the Old Tamil "ai" becoming Modern Tamil "e".

Grammatical Changes

1. *Simplification of verb conjugation*: Old Tamil had a complex verb conjugation system, which has been simplified in Modern Tamil.

2. *Loss of case system*: Old Tamil had a complex case system, which has been reduced in Modern Tamil.

3. *Increased use of auxiliary verbs*: Modern Tamil relies more heavily on auxiliary verbs to indicate tense and aspect.

Lexical Changes

1. *Adoption of loanwords*: Modern Tamil has borrowed words from other languages, such as English, Portuguese, and Arabic.

2. *Changes in word order*: Modern Tamil typically uses a subject-object-verb (SOV) word order, whereas Old Tamil used a verb-subject-object (VSO) word order.

Orthographic Changes

1. *Simplification of script*: The Modern Tamil script has been simplified, with fewer letters and diacritical marks than the Old Tamil script.

2. *Introduction of new symbols*: Modern Tamil has introduced new symbols, such as the "ஃ" (visarga) and "ஂ" (anusvara), to represent sounds not found in Old Tamil.

Idiomatic and Stylistic Changes

1. *Increased use of idiomatic expressions*: Modern Tamil relies more heavily on idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms.

2. *Changes in literary style*: Modern Tamil literature has adopted new styles and genres, such as the novel and short story.

These changes reflect the evolution of the Tamil language over time, influenced by various social, cultural, and historical factors.

The main difference between Old Tamil and Modern Tamil is in grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and influence from other languages.

Old Tamil had complex grammar, pure Tamil words, and fewer borrowed terms.

Modern Tamil is simpler, includes words from Sanskrit and English, and has evolved in pronunciation and script.