• Dr. JILL CR NEWBIGIN

Tamil, recognized as a classical language by the Government of India, is the first re cognized classical language in India. Tamil holds official language status in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry of India Union. Tamil is one among the 22 languages within 8th Schedule of Indian Union Constitution. Tamil is spoken by a significant minority in the four other South Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and the Union Territories of Puducherry along with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Tamil is one of the world's longest-surviving classical languages. The word 'Tamil' is an anglicised form of the three-letter native name of the Dravidian language spoken mostly by people in Tamilnadu, an Indian subcontinent state. It is a Dravidian language from the southern branch. It is the official and administrative language of Tamil Nadu and the Union territory of Puducherry. It is one of India's twenty-two scheduled languages.

Tamil, Official language, Classical language, Vattezhuthu, Antiquity, Dravidian, Tamil Brahmi script, Agathiyam, Tolkappiyam, Sanskritisation etc.

"EVOLUTION OF TAMIL LANGUAGE: A HISTORICAL STUDY", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 3, page no.115-123, March-2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1903O19.pdf

"EVOLUTION OF TAMIL LANGUAGE: A HISTORICAL STUDY", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 3, page no. pp115-123, March-2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1903O19.pdf