INTRODUCTION TO TAMIL PROSODY

BY

Ulrike NIKLAS

Table of contents Introduction 165 Part One : Methodical Description of the System of Tamil Prosody (§§0.-13.) 169 Chapter One : The component elements (§§ 0.-6.) 169 — The basic system (§0.) 1 69 — eluttu "phone" (§1.) 169 — acai "metreme" (§2.) 170 — ctr "metrical foot" (§3.) 172 — lalai "linkage" (§4.) 174 — ati "metrical line" (§5.) 176 — totai "ornament" / "ornamentation" (§6.) 177 Chapter Two : The types of verses (§§• 7.-13.) 179 — On verses in general (§7.) 179 — venpá (§ 8.1.) 180 — venpávinam (§ 8.2.) 182 — áciriyappa (§ 9. 1 .) 183 — âciriyappâvinam (§ 9.2.) 184 — kalippâ (§ m.) 185 — kalippâvinam (§11.) 189 — uancippà "(§ 12.1) 189 — vaňcippuvinam (§ 12.2.) 190 — marutpá (§ 13.) 190 Part Two : Annotations and Illustrations 191 (The order and numbering of §§ is synchronized with that of Part One, hence it is unnecessary to repeat it here.) Index : 1. Tamil Terms " 223 2. English Terms 225 3. Symbols : 225 Bibliography 226

Introduction

The system of prosody is probably the most indigenous and original part of Tamil grammar, having at least two important elements (acai and lalai) which in this form won't occur in any other of the great prosodical systems known to us, including the Sanskrit traditions.