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Learn Tamil Through TFM

Topic started by tigger (@ 68.78.33.162) on Sun Apr 13 12:13:57 EDT 2003.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Hi all,

I have learnt lots of Tamil words through tfm, but there are so many words that I still dont know the meaning of. I would love to improve my Tamil vocabulary, but resources are limited. I was wondering if we can have a thread that helps out in this regard. People post the words they dont understand and someone who knows responds with the answer. For this to succeed the old-timers have to get involved, bcos I dont know many younger guys who know much Tamil words :)

Ex.

1. samsaaram enbathu veenai..santhosham enbathu raagam.. xxx xxx illai
I used xxx because I dont even know what he was saying. was it "salanam galadhi illai"? What does that mean?

2. En mana vaanil siragai virikkum.. from Kasi. There is a line kalakalakala vena thulli kuthikkum sinnanchiru kalaiyey.. what does kalai mean?

3. Anjanam. What does it mean? (Used in various songs)

4. Uchi vaguntheduthu pichu poo vacha kili..What does this mean?

Please answer people!

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: interpreter (@ 4.41.45.232) on: Thu Jun 19 16:44:23 EDT 2003
  
  K,
  
  Haven't heard the song - but my guess is the line "yathuvum saveeranukku (??) yasothai naane" is really "yadhu vamsa vIranukku yasodhai nAnE". Yadhu is the name of the ancestor of the Yadhavas. Since Krishna was raised by Yasodhai (who is a Yadhava), he is referred to as a person of Yadhava lineage.
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Thu Jun 19 16:49:52 EDT 2003
  
  K: It is 'Sri Raman Kaadu vandha', referring to his fourteen years vanavasam. The rest is Ramayanam, Seetha being abducted and Rama in the South (Kamba nadu).
  
  
• From: K (@ 81.50.11.19) on: Thu Jun 19 17:04:30 EDT 2003
  
  ohhhhhh athu yathu vamsa veeranaaa!!! :-)) Thank you Raj & interpreter!
  
  
• From: KP (@ 161.150.2.25) on: Fri Jun 20 07:31:11 EDT 2003
  
  Raj , you mentioned that anjanavannam is blue color.
  In the song 'poomudippaal indha poonkuzhali' there is a line
  'ponmani kangaLil anjanam theeti'
  
  I guess here the anjanam is kaajal, which should be black in color.
  
  Are these 2 different anjanams?
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Fri Jun 20 08:34:03 EDT 2003
  
  KP: Yes. anjanam also means blue. I am trying to recall my school days when I was taught Kambaramayanam. In Aranya Kandam (Guha padalam)there is a verse -'anjana vannan en aaruyir nayakan aalamey vanchanaiyal araseidhiya mannarum vandhaarey....' The Tamil Pundit explained- since we do not have Tamil word for blue, he used anjanam. But, blue (neelam) is translated as black or dark. He also gave some other explanation, which I am unable to recall. Anjanam also means the paste(saanthu) used for eyelashes. It is also ointment (amrutanjan!). Remember songs like 'kannaa karumai nirakkanna' and 'neela vannak kanna'. Blue and black(dark) are used interchangeably. If Irecall the Tamil pundit's lecture, I will post again.
  
  
• From: KP (@ 161.150.2.25) on: Fri Jun 20 08:49:43 EDT 2003
  
  Raj that would be great
  
  what is aalamey?
  
  and what is paribaashai?(oomaiyin paribaashai kangaLil vadippai nee)
  
  
• From: raj (@ 12.30.122.10) on: Fri Jun 20 09:00:07 EDT 2003
  
  aalamey is Ruling man !!
  
  Like rama didnt rule
  people who got the Kingodm by Cheating has come ... this is the Meaning
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Fri Jun 20 09:00:50 EDT 2003
  
  KP: I should have used the standard for transliteration. It is ALAmey -not ruling the country. ALuthal is ruling. Atchi is government. I think paribaashai means sign language.
  
  
• From: KP (@ 161.150.2.25) on: Fri Jun 20 09:16:13 EDT 2003
  
  Thanks Raj
  
  next one
  
  'naan paartha godhavari kaanal variyaa'
  
  i know what kaanal neer means but kaanal vari?Is that a correct usage?
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Fri Jun 20 09:46:38 EDT 2003
  
  KP: I think it is vaari. Vaari means stream. I am not sure vari stands for stream. What is the song?
  
  
• From: KP (@ 161.150.2.25) on: Fri Jun 20 10:01:28 EDT 2003
  
  Raj its from 'nalladhor veenai seidhen'(marupadiyum)
  
  Heres a link
  
  http://www.dhool.com/html/movie/Marupadiyum.html
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.87.30.219) on: Fri Jun 20 10:02:13 EDT 2003
  
  KP -
  
  Kaanal Vari means A Mirage Streak (vari- as in varisai or mirage-line)
  From the line you've provided I gather that the person saying this is doubtful if he has seen godhavari river or is the river just illusory "line" - which is also how a river flows - in one straight and curving "line".
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Fri Jun 20 10:09:19 EDT 2003
  
  KP: vari is sometimes used for sea, not very common. It is quite possible it is also used for stream. Godhavari is Godha + vari. In Andhra, Andal is called Godha. So, it makes sense that vari is also stream. My interpretation. I will think about it more.
  
  
• From: KP (@ 161.150.2.25) on: Fri Jun 20 10:31:45 EDT 2003
  
  Thanks Naaz and Raj
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.87.30.219) on: Fri Jun 20 11:18:38 EDT 2003
  
  Raj -
  
  The "dha" in Go"dha"vari is a clue to stream/line (eg. streamline this project)
  In sanskrit the "dha" is linked with "dhara" as in "jeevan dhara" "suthra-dhaar" - river of life, the story teller who follows/narrates a "plot-line".
  Your interpretation as "stream" is apt. Interestingly the other cousin of dhar is taar - stringed instrument - a wire/line in the sitar or the veenai. So, the "shiny, glistening" aspect of taar is also part of the "mirage" concept.
  
  KP, you're welcome.
  
  
• From: raj (@ 12.30.122.10) on: Fri Jun 20 11:33:22 EDT 2003
  
  even in Tamil we call AAndal as Kothai ..
  
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Fri Jun 20 11:47:57 EDT 2003
  
  KP,Naaz: I just remembered 'kanal vari' is a phrase from Silappadikaram. I am not sure whether it has anything to do with the use here. I have no access to Silappadikaram. If you have you might want to check it out. I think it relates to music. I have been out of touch with Tamil literature so long, I need to brush up!
  Thanks KP,Naaz and raj
  
  
• From: dada (@ 199.207.253.96) on: Fri Jun 20 12:12:56 EDT 2003
  
  KP, paribaashai means sign language..
  It can also be used inthe context of secret language.
  paribaasahi used by merchents....
  
  
• From: ec (@ 141.14.139.162) on: Fri Jun 20 12:22:04 EDT 2003
  
  Raj, i vaguely remember these two lines to be from 'maNimEgalai'
  
  " maadhavi madandhai kaanal paaNi
  kanaga visayar mudithalai aRuthathE"
  
  The meaning of which, (also i vaguely remember) goes like this. Madhavi performed for some (dance drama?!) entitled 'kaanalpaaNi/kaanalvari' after which kovalan got attracted to her. This led to the whole events in silappathikaaram. These kanaga vijayar were kings ruling the northen india then. They came to know about madhurai and the PaaNdiyar kingdom throguh this story and wanted to conquer that. But the paaNdiyar won the battle against them and dethroned them. That is why it is mudithalai (crow) aRuthathE! Correct me if i am wrong as i want to know more about this, if possible!
  
  
• From: ec (@ 141.14.139.162) on: Fri Jun 20 12:33:16 EDT 2003
  
  i am sorry, it should be 'neRithathE' and not 'aRuthathE'; also forgive me for the other erros in my post :)
  
  
• From: ec (@ 141.14.139.162) on: Fri Jun 20 12:34:28 EDT 2003
  
  like crow for crown :)))
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Fri Jun 20 12:50:55 EDT 2003
  
  ec: I will try to jog my memory. mudithalai can be interpreted as 'crowned head'. It could be arunthathe meaning severed. It is probably 'nerinthathe' meaning crushed. I had a translation of Silappadikaram (abbreviated). If I can find it, it might shed some light. Thanks for the verse and the explanation.
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Sun Jun 22 19:14:57 EDT 2003
  
  ec: A little more about Kaanal vari. This from a book on Tamil music (Tamil Isai) I was reading this weekend. Kaanal vari is a chapter in Silappadikaram. Vari means music or melody in that context. Kaanal vari is music of the region Marutham. There are other varis for the other regions. It is during a festival diffrences develop between Kovalan and Madhavi and he leaves her leading to his death in Pandya kingdom.
  
  
• From: ec (@ 141.14.139.162) on: Mon Jun 23 07:04:25 EDT 2003
  
  Raj, thanks for your effort and explanation. So, kanal vari led to their separation, and doesn't correspond to their first meeting?! I am sorry.
  
  I read these lines during my school days in one of the tamizh lessons. It was about the influence of south on north and viceversa. They were quoted to say that once the PaNdiyar's Fish flag could fly on the Himalaya, due to their victory over kanaga, vijayar. Thats why I liked those lines :) Thanks again.
  
  
• From: KP (@ 161.150.2.25) on: Mon Jun 23 07:39:38 EDT 2003
  
  In the song 'anbe amudhe arunganiye'(uthamaputhiran) there is a line
  
  'kaNNal mozhi pesi kaNNaal valai veesi'
  
  what is kaNNal mozhi?
  
  
• From: ec (@ 141.14.139.162) on: Mon Jun 23 08:07:16 EDT 2003
  
  KP, kannal = sugarcane! More explanation could be found in the old responses!
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Mon Jun 23 08:08:40 EDT 2003
  
  KP: KaNN is eye as you know and mozhi is language. In those days girls did not come out and say what they had in mind. They conveyed their thoughts (wishes) by the way they looked at the lover. The girl talks through her eyes. 'mozhi pesi' is talking or giving signals.
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Mon Jun 23 08:12:11 EDT 2003
  
  KP: misinterpretation? Is it kaNNaal or kannal? Kannal means sweet (as in sugarcane)
  
  
• From: KP (@ 161.150.2.25) on: Mon Jun 23 08:19:11 EDT 2003
  
  Raj it could be kannal, thanks for the info
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Mon Jun 23 08:21:29 EDT 2003
  
  KP: It is kannal meaning sweet. I should have known. I used to sing that song in my college days along with 'unnazhagai'
  
  
• From: KP (@ 161.150.2.25) on: Mon Jun 23 08:36:25 EDT 2003
  
  Raj, thanks for the confirmation
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Mon Jun 23 09:07:56 EDT 2003
  
  ec: You are welcome! As I remember, Kovalan meets Madhavi when she dances in a Chozha king's court in Pumpukar.
  
  
• From: ec (@ 141.14.139.162) on: Mon Jun 23 15:29:07 EDT 2003
  
  Thanks again Raj!
  
  
• From: tigger (@ 205.219.204.23) on: Thu Jun 26 12:25:12 EDT 2003
  
  song: maan kanda sorgangal
  line: ..ean intha seyendru thaazhaatha noi kondaal..
  "why this child?" endru thaazhaatha noi.. what is
  thaazhaatha?
  
  line: ..thanvazhi selgindraal, thanjalam kolgindraal..
  what is thanjalam?
  
  song: thuyilaatha pen ondru kandaen.
  what does this mean?
  
  Thanks!
  
  
• From: KP (@ 161.150.2.25) on: Thu Jun 26 13:11:23 EDT 2003
  
  tigger:
  
  it its thaaLaadha noi could be translated to unbearable sickness(or unbearable pain in this case)
  
  thanvazhi selgindraaL sanjalam koLgindraaL
  Sanjalam , in this context represents dilemma
  
  thuyilaadha peN - a girl who is not asleep( in this context it could be ' a girl who could not sleep ')
  
  

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