Last weekend, within the Tamil book store ‘Discovery Book Palace’ in Chennai, I discovered a connection to a 2500-year-old culture.
A book named ‘Tamizhi’ drew my attention and soon, I found myself gleefully indulging in a child-like desire to write ‘தமிழ் வாழ்க’ (Long Live Tamil) in the ancient Tamil script, Tamizhi (தமிழி).
Tamizhi (தமிழி), a predecessor to the modern Tamil script we use today, dates back 2500 years.
Its simplicity lies in its linear formation. Over time, it evolved into Tamil Vatezhuthukkal (தமிழ் வட்டெழுத்துக்கள்), and later, the modern Tamil (தற்கால தமிழ்) script.
Interestingly, both scripts were used concurrently, with Tamil Vatezhuthukkal being more prevalent.
Interestingly, Tamizhi lacks specific scripts for ஐ , ஒள, and ஆயுத எழுத்து.
The book ‘Tamizhi’ serves as a workbook, offering a fascinating glimpse into this ancient script, even including the Tamizhi equivalents of modern Tamil letters.
