Tamil Self-Taught (In Roman Characters) With English Phonetic Pronunciation

This volume of Tamil is issued with a two-fold object, viz., as an independent manual of spoken Tamiul, and as a supplementary and companion volume to Tamil Grammar Self-Taught (Marlborough’s self-Taught Series, No. 19). It is primarily intended to supply a working and practical knowledge of the language, for the benefit of those who have not the time or the inclination to master the grammar, and yet require to use the spoken tongue for purposes of business or pleasure. With this in view many vocabularies are supplied, carefully selected to suit the needs of the Tamil countries and classified according to subject, and also a large number of colloquial phrases and sentences of a practical character, similarly classified. Throughout these sections of the volume the pronunciation of the Tamil words is added, according to Marlborough’s system of phonetics – a system which has grown out of long experience, and is of so simple a nature that, by means of it, a stranger to the language who knows English only, can read off the words at a glance and thus easily make himself understood amongst Tamil-speaking people. At the same time the Grammar forms a useful book of reference on any point of construction, etc., which may arise. To the student who has set himself to master the first volume – Tamil Grammar Self-Taught – this book offers a large amount of additional matter of an extremely useful kind. He can add largely to his stock of words by means of it, and the conversations furnish abundant material for exercise in writing and reading as well as in speaking Tamil. The English-Tamil alphabetical Vocabulary is a most useful supplement to the classified lists of words in the earlier portion of the book, and forms the counterpart of the Tamil-English Vocabulary supplied in the Grammar. Each of these volumes is, therefore, the complement of the other, and together they suffice to give an excellent grounding in Tamil. In view of the importance of the problems of government now engaging attention in India, it is hoped that, by facilitating the acquisition of one of the principal tongue of the Indian Empire, these books may assist in strengthening the ties which bind British and Indian fellow-subjects together.