The Tamil Language

The Tamil language is the language of the Tamil people of India. It is estimated to have over 70 million speakers world wide. It is one of the two Classical Languages of India - the other being Sanskrit - and has official status in Sri Lanka and Singapore. There are also significant speaking populations  in Malaysia, parts of Africa, Fiji, the West Indies, and Mauritius and Reunion Islands.

With over two thousand years of history behind it, the Tamil language has one of the longest unbroken literary traditions known today.

Cornell Area Program Affiliation: South Asia Program

The South Asia Program coordinates teaching, research, and campus activities focusing on the Indian subcontinent, which comprises the modern nations of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Since 1985, Cornell has been in consortium with Syracuse University as a National Resource Center for South Asia. The Program attracts students engaged in regional history and the social sciences, and students are well known for their research on questions concerning the environment, rural inequality and agrarian change, labor market dynamics, economic liberalization, social movements and questions of governance. Through a weekly seminar series, yearly workshops and cultural events, students, faculty and invited speakers exchange ideas, research experiences and on-going research.

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