Tamilspeaking

Tamilspeaking refers to individuals who use Tamil as their first language or as a significant means of communication. Tamil is a Dravidian language with a continuous literary tradition dating back over two millennia. It is written in the Tamil script, an abugida derived from Brahmi, and has a classical register recognized by the Indian government for its ancient literature, poetics, and grammar.

Today, Tamil speakers are concentrated in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the union territory of Puducherry, where Tamil is the majority language. Widely spoken outside India, Tamil communities are established in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, Fiji, South Africa, and Western countries through migration and education networks. Estimates place the number of Tamilspeaking people in the tens of millions, with many more using Tamil as a second language or lingua franca in local networks.

Dialects and varieties of Tamil include regional forms such as Central Tamil, Kongu Tamil, and Jaffna Tamil, among others. Standardized forms are taught in schools and used in government, media, and literature, while regional varieties remain prominent in daily speech. Tamil has a rich literary and media ecosystem, including classical works, modern novels, cinema, and digital content.

Official status varies by country: Tamil is an official language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the official languages of Sri Lanka and Singapore. In Malaysia and other countries, Tamil is widely used in education, media, and community life, though not generally an official national language. The Tamilspeaking community maintains strong cultural institutions, festivals, and media organizations that support language maintenance and transmission across generations.