Multi Language
It can be observed while talking in Tamil one uses many English words. There are two cases, one is, in a conversation talking some sentences in Tamil and some in English and the other case is, using English words in a Tamil sentence. We can notice that we use many English words in our daily conversations.
Why cannot we express or convey what we want to say in one language. Does it show the lack of fluency of Tamil or is it because of the influence of English in our mind? I observe this tendency to use English words more with the Tamils than with Hindi people. Also in other countries where people talk native language, we can observe they mix very less English words.
Is the use of English words or English sentences is just because of good fluency in English? On the other hand, is it because of the present western influenced life style that we find it awkward, embarrassed to use or difficult to pronounce certain Tamil words and thereby substitute them with English words? Or is it, using an English word conveys the subject more aptly and easily?
The same scenario had happened to Tamil just a century ago when Tamils were using lot of Sanskrit words. Then needed a revolution to remove the Sanskrit words and bring back Tamil words. Words like Electricity, Train, Car, Television, and Computer, which were invented and named by westerners, can be used as such, though we have coined some words for these. However, we have to consider how and why we insert English words in a Tamil sentence. One of the reasons that come to my mind is in some places an English words fits short and sweet in place of a Tamil word which may be difficult to pronounce in that flow of words. I give a simple example here. "General-la nama pesum podu niraiye English words use pannurom." "Poduva nama pesum podu niraiya English sorkkalai payan paduthurom." This may be happening because of the changing life styles. Situation has come such that we may find it difficult to speak for long without using English words. Our thinking process / flow of thoughts might have changed, which changes the flow of words.
The effects of such a practice have to be studied carefully. There are people who hardly use any English words, like people who have not learnt English, or some Tamil scholars. We can learn to use proper Tamil words listening to them.
Why cannot we express or convey what we want to say in one language. Does it show the lack of fluency of Tamil or is it because of the influence of English in our mind? I observe this tendency to use English words more with the Tamils than with Hindi people. Also in other countries where people talk native language, we can observe they mix very less English words.
Is the use of English words or English sentences is just because of good fluency in English? On the other hand, is it because of the present western influenced life style that we find it awkward, embarrassed to use or difficult to pronounce certain Tamil words and thereby substitute them with English words? Or is it, using an English word conveys the subject more aptly and easily?
The same scenario had happened to Tamil just a century ago when Tamils were using lot of Sanskrit words. Then needed a revolution to remove the Sanskrit words and bring back Tamil words. Words like Electricity, Train, Car, Television, and Computer, which were invented and named by westerners, can be used as such, though we have coined some words for these. However, we have to consider how and why we insert English words in a Tamil sentence. One of the reasons that come to my mind is in some places an English words fits short and sweet in place of a Tamil word which may be difficult to pronounce in that flow of words. I give a simple example here. "General-la nama pesum podu niraiye English words use pannurom." "Poduva nama pesum podu niraiya English sorkkalai payan paduthurom." This may be happening because of the changing life styles. Situation has come such that we may find it difficult to speak for long without using English words. Our thinking process / flow of thoughts might have changed, which changes the flow of words.
The effects of such a practice have to be studied carefully. There are people who hardly use any English words, like people who have not learnt English, or some Tamil scholars. We can learn to use proper Tamil words listening to them.
posted by Sivakumar | 9:53 AM
3 Comments:
It seems very convincing but I wish to register one thing that most of the tamil scholars has much better English fluency also. In many programs I have observed, as you indicated, they speak with out using english words however after finishing, if they wish to quote something in english, that is the moment their fluency in english comes out.
One should try to attain the state that, speak any language to its purity level.
"Language is not means of just communication, Its culture, Our Life"
best example:
you in english - for elder / younger / to anybody.
But in Thamizh,
Nee- to younger
Neengal- to elders / strangers
Thaangal - to elders with politeness etc
These things in any language shows the culture of the people / that society.
Well said Sakthi, I agree with you completely. It is not against speaking in English, it is against mixing languages. I am equally concerned when I see poor usage of English by some one. Which ever language one speaks, one should stick to that language throughout the speach. As you rightly pointed out language carries culture with it, mixing of language is the start for mixing of culture, rather loosing of one.
If the world is moving towards a uniculture...!!!???
Siva,
Speaking comes from thinking, the past decades people like us have learnt everything in english and were even fined when we spoke in tamil at school.
Somewhere our brain has started thinking not in one but both languages, hence the mix up..Also while 7 hrs in school was in English, 1 hr in tamil that too sudda tamil reduced our ability to retain coloquial tamil in all our conversation..
One thing I have noticed with myself, when I extremely angry, happy I tend to express in english and not in tamil..
May be this is one of the reason...
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