Author Archives: francisxavieremmanuel

Sounds of Tamil, the writing system and dialect variations. Part I : The Vowels.

Posted on 12/03/2016 by francisxavieremmanuel

Introduction It is convenient to organise the description of the sounds used in Tamil in the traditional order that is used in the ancient descriptions of the writing system of the language. This is the approach that is usually followed … Continue reading →

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‘Oppenheimer’, The Royal Shakespeare Company’s play about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima: a critical review.

Posted on 30/06/2015 by francisxavieremmanuel

Critical thoughts on the recent Royal Shakespeare Company’s acclaimed play based on the personality of Robert Oppenheimer, the ‘father of the atom bomb’. Raises issues that the play seems oblivious to, and questions the role of theatre critics and reviewers. Continue reading →

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Echo Words in Tamil and other South Asian languages.

Posted on 23/12/2012 by francisxavieremmanuel

Echo words Echo words are a characteristic feature of colloquial dialects of all languages spoken in the Indian sub continent and Sri Lanka. In spoken colloquial dialects of Tamil, we often come across partial word repeats (reduplication) of the type contained in the … Continue reading →

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A framework for analysing the role of Language in Ethnic Group relations in SriLanka

Posted on 08/12/2012 by francisxavieremmanuel

Language is one of the most salient components in determining an individual’s or a communuity’s perception of Ethnicity. The relationship between language and ethnicity however is often very complex and dynamic and each context has its own unique combination of interacting factors. Describing and … Continue reading →

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Demonstratives and deixis in Tamil and Sinhala.

Posted on 07/12/2012 by francisxavieremmanuel

Demonstratives are words like here/there/over there/yonder, and this/that.  In Tamil, these words begin with the syllables /இ,i/அ,a/ or /உ,u/  (சுட்டெளுத்து) as in inta/anta/unta (இந்த/அந்த/உந்த). In Sinhala, the words are based on the four member set mee/oyə/arə/ee. This class of words, or parts of words (prefixes, … Continue reading →

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Word Endings in the South Indian and Jaffna spoken dialects of Tamil

Posted on 04/12/2012 by francisxavieremmanuel

There are many aspects in which the South Indian and Jaffna dialects of spoken Tamil differ. One of the more prominent set of differences are in the ways that the relevant sounds are used at the end of words. This type … Continue reading →

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