A milestone which uses both Tamil and Indo-Arabic Numerals (Tanjore Palace Museum).
Modern Tamil numerals featured on a 100 Mauritian rupee note.

The Tamil language has number words and dedicated symbols for them in the Tamil script.

Basic numbering in Tamil

Zero

Old Tamil possesses a special numerical character for zero (see Old Tamil numerals below), which is read as andru (literally, no/nothing); yet Modern Tamil renounces the use of its native character and uses the Indian symbol '0' for Shunya meaning nothingness in Indic thought. Modern Tamil words for zero include சுழியம் (suḻiyam) or பூஜ்ஜியம் (pūjjiyam).

First ten numbers (முதல் எண்கள்)

Modern
Tamil script		Tamil numeralTamil word and transliteration
௦0சுழியம் (suḻiyam)
Old Tamil: பாழ் (pāḻ)[1]
௧1ஒன்று (oṉṟu)
௨2இரண்டு (iraṇḍu)
௩3மூன்று (mūṉṟu)
௪4நான்கு (nāṉku)
௫5ஐந்து (aindhu)
௬6ஆறு (āṟu)
௭7ஏழு (ēḻu)
௮8எட்டு (eṭṭu)
௯9ஒன்பது (oṉpathu)
௰10பத்து (paththu)

Transcribing other numbers

Reproductive and attributive prefixes

Tamil has a numeric prefix for each number from 1 to 9, which can be added to the words for the powers of ten (ten, hundred, thousand, etc.) to form multiples of them. For instance, the word for fifty, ஐம்பது (aimpatu) is a combination of ஐ (ai, the prefix for five) and பத்து (pattu, which is ten). The prefix for nine changes with respect to the succeeding base 10. தொ + the unvoiced consonant of the succeeding base 10 forms the prefix for nine. For instance, 90 is தொ + ண் (ண் being the unvoiced version of ணூ), hence, தொண்ணூறு).

Tamil scriptTamil prefixTransliteration
௧ஓர்ōr
௨ஈர்īr
௩மூmū
௪நான்nāṉ
௫ஐai
௬ஆறுāṟ(u)
௭ஏழ்ēḻ(u)
௮எண்eṇ

These are typically void in the Tamil language except for some Hindu references; for example, அட்ட இலட்சுமிகள் (the eight Lakshmis). Even in religious contexts, the Tamil language is usually more preferred for its more poetic nature and relatively low incidence of consonant clusters.

Specific characters

Unlike other Indian writing systems, Tamil has distinct digits for 10, 100, and 1000. It also has distinct characters for other number-based aspects of day-to-day life.

tenhundredthousand
௰௱௲
daymonthyeardebitcreditas aboverupeenumeral
௳௴௵௶௷௸௹௺

Powers of ten (பதின்பெருக்கம்)

There are two numeral systems that can be used in the Tamil language: the Tamil system which is as follows[2]

The following are the traditional numbers of the Ancient Tamil Country, Tamiḻakam.

Original Tamil system

Rank 101 102 103 104 105 106 109 1012 1015 1018 1020 1021
Words பத்து நூறு ஆயிரம் பத்தாயிரம் நூறாயிரம் மெய்யிரம் தொள்ளுண் ஈகியம் நெளை இளஞ்சி வெள்ளம் ஆம்பல்
Character ௰ ௱ ௲ ௰௲ ௱௲ ௲௲ ௲௲௲ ௲௲௲௲ ௲௲௲௲௲ ௲௲௲௲௲௲ ௱௲௲௲௲௲௲ ௲௲௲௲௲௲௲
Transliteration pattu nūṟu āyiram pattāyiram nūṟāyiram meyyiram toḷḷuṇ īkiyam neḷai iḷañci veḷḷam āmbal
Translation ten hundred thousand ten thousand hundred thousand million billion (milliard) trillion (billion) quadrillion (billiard) quintillion (trillion) hundred quintillion sextillion (trilliard)

Current Tamil system

Rank 105 106 107 108 109 1011 1013 1015 1017 1019 1021 1025
Words இலட்சம் பத்து இலட்சம் கோடி பத்துக் கோடி அற்புதம் நிகர்ப்புதம் கர்வம் சங்கம் அர்த்தம் பூரியம் முக்கொடி மாயுகம்
Character ௱௲ ௲௲ ௰௲௲ ௱௲௲ ௲௲௲ ௱௲௲௲ ௱௲௲௲௲ ௲௲௲௲௲ ௱௲௲௲௲௲ ௰௲௲௲௲௲௲ ௲௲௲௲௲௲௲ ௰௲௲௲௲௲௲௲௲
Transliteration ilaṭcam pattu ilaṭcam kōṭi pattuk kōṭi aṟputam nikarpputam karvam śaṅkam arttam pūriyam mukkoṭi māyukam
Translation lakh ten lakh crore ten crore arab kharab nil / hundred kharab padma shankh / hundred padma hundred shankh ten thousand shankh ten crore shankh

Partitive numerals (பகுத்தல்)

Fractions (பின்னம்)

Proposals to encode Tamil fractions and symbols to Unicode were submitted.[3][4] As of version 12.0, Tamil characters used for fractional values in traditional accounting practices were added to the Unicode Standard.

Transcribing fractions (பின்னம் எழுத்தல்)

Any fraction can be transcribed by affixing -இல் (-il) after the denominator followed by the numerator. For instance, 1/41 can be said as நாற்பத்து ஒன்றில் ஒன்று (nāṟpattu oṉṟil oṉṟu).

The suffixing of the -இல் (-il) requires the last consonant of the number to be changed to its இ (i) form. For example, மூன்று + இல் (mūṉṟu + -il) becomes மூன்றில் (mūṉṟil); note the உ (u) has been omitted.

Common fractions (பொது பின்னங்கள்) have names already allocated to them, hence, these names are often used rather than the above method.

Value 1⁄4 1⁄2 3⁄4 1⁄5 1⁄8 1⁄10 1⁄16 1⁄20 1⁄40 1⁄80 1⁄160
Symbol
Name கால் அரை முக்கால் நாலுமா அரைக்கால் இருமா மாகாணி, வீசம் ஒருமா அரைமா காணி அரைக்காணி
Transliteration kāl arai mukkāl nālumā araikkāl irumā mākāṇi, vīsam orumā araimā kāṇi araikkāṇi

Other fractions include:

ValueNameTransliteration
3⁄16 = 0.1875மும்மாகாணிmummākāṇi
3⁄20 = 0.15மும்மாmummā
3⁄64 = 0.046875முக்கால்வீசம்mukkālvīsam
3⁄80 = 0.0375முக்காணிmukkāṇi
1⁄32 = 0.03125அரைவீசம்araivīsam
1⁄64 = 0.015625கால் வீசம்kāl vīsam
3⁄320 = 0.009375முக்கால்காணிmukkālkāṇi
1⁄320 = 0.003125முந்திரிmuntiri
3⁄1280 = 0.00234375கீழ் முக்கால்kīḻ mukkāl
1⁄640 = 0.0015625கீழரைkīḻarai
1⁄1280 = 7.8125×10−4கீழ் கால்kīḻ kāl
1⁄1600 = 0.000625கீழ் நாலுமாkīḻ nālumā
3⁄5120 ≈ 5.85938×10−4கீழ் மூன்று வீசம்kīḻ mūṉṟu vīsam
3⁄6400 = 4.6875×10−4கீழ் மும்மாkīḻ mummā
1⁄2500 = 0.0004கீழ் அரைக்கால்kīḻ araikkāl
1⁄3200 = 3.12500×10−4கீழ் இருமாkīḻ irumā
1⁄5120 ≈ 1.95313×10−4கீழ் வீசம்kīḻ vīsam
1⁄6400 = 1.56250×10−4கீழொருமாkīḻorumā
1⁄102400 ≈ 9.76563×10−6கீழ்முந்திரிkīḻmuntiri
1⁄2150400 ≈ 4.65030×10−7இம்மிimmi
1⁄23654400 ≈ 4.22754×10−8மும்மிmummi
1⁄165580800 ≈ 6.03935×10−9அணுaṇu
1⁄1490227200 ≈ 6.71039×10−10குணம்kuṇam
1⁄7451136000 ≈ 1.34208×10−10பந்தம்pantam
1⁄44706816000 ≈ 2.23680×10−11பாகம்pāgam
1⁄312947712000 ≈ 3.19542×10−12விந்தம்vintam
1⁄5320111104000 ≈ 1.87966×10−13நாகவிந்தம்nāgavintam
1⁄74481555456000 ≈ 1.34261×10−14சிந்தைsintai
1⁄1489631109120000 ≈ 6.71307×10−16கதிர்முனைkatirmuṉai
1⁄59585244364800000 ≈ 1.67827×10−17குரல்வளைப்படிkuralvaḷaippaḍi
1⁄3575114661888000000 ≈ 2.79711×10−19வெள்ளம்veḷḷam
1⁄357511466188800000000 ≈ 2.79711×10−21நுண்மணல்nuṇmaṇal
1⁄2323824530227200000000 ≈ 4.30325×10−22தேர்த்துகள்tērttugaḷ

^ Aṇu was considered as the lowest fraction by ancient Tamils as size of smallest physical object (similar to an atom). Later, this term went to Sanskrit to refer directly to atoms.

Decimals (பதின்மம்)

Decimal point is called புள்ளி (puḷḷi) in Tamil. For example, 1.1 would be read as ஒன்று புள்ளி ஒன்று (oṉṟu puḷḷi oṉṟu). In Sri Lankan Tamil, Thasam தசம்.

Percentage (விழுக்காடு)

Percentage is known as விழுக்காடு (viḻukkāḍu) in Tamil or சதவீதம் (śatavītam). These words are simply added after a number to form percentages. For instance, four percent is நான்கு சதவீதம் (nāṉku satavītam) or நான்கு விழுக்காடு (nāṉku viḻukkāḍu). Percentage symbol (%) is also recognised and used.

Ordinal numbers (வரிசை எண்கள்)

Ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix -ஆம் (ām) after the number, except for 'First'.

Ordinal Tamil Transliteration
Firstமுதல்mudal
Secondஇரண்டாம்iraṇḍām
Thirdமூன்றாம்mūṉṟām
Fourthநான்காம்nāṉkām
101stநூற்று ஒறாம்nūṟṟu oṉṟām

Collective numerals (கூட்டெண்கள்)

EnglishTamilTransliteration
Singleஒற்றைoṟṟai
Pairஇரட்டைiraṭṭai
Reproductives௺ + வினைச்சொல்Numeric prefix + noun*
Single (pillar), double (pillar)...ஒருக்(கால்), இருக்(கால்)-oruk(kāl), iruk(kāl)*
Distributives௺ + முறைNumeric prefix + muṟai
Once, twice...ஒருமுறை, இருமுறைorumuṟai, irumuṟai
  • As always, when blending two words into one, an unvoiced form of the consonant as the one that the second starts with, is placed in between to blend.

Traditional Tamil counting song

This song is a list of each number with a concept its primarily associated with.

TamilTransliterationEnglish
ஒரு குலம்oru kulamOne race
ஈரினம்īriṉamTwo sexes – male (ஆண், āṇ), female (பெண், peṇ)
முத்தமிழ்muttamiḻThree sections of Tamil – literature (இயல், iyal), music (இசை, isai), and drama (நாடகம், nāṭakam)
நான்மறைnāṉmaṟaiFour scriptures
ஐம்புலன்aimpulaṉFive senses
அறுசுவைaṟucuvaiSix tastes – sweet (iṉippu), pungent (kārppu), bitter (kasappu), sour (puḷippu), salty (uvarppu), and astringent (tuvarppu).
ஏழிசைēḻicaiSeven musical notes (kural, tuttam, kaikkiḷai, uḻai, iḷi, viḷari, tāram)
எண் பக்கம்eṇ pakkamEight directions – east (kiḻakku), west (mēṟku), north (vaḍakku), south (teṟku), south-west (teṉ-mēṟku), south-east (teṉ-kiḻakku), north-west (vaḍa-mēṟku), and north-east (vaḍa-kiḻakku).
நவமணிகள்navamaṇikaḷNine gems – diamond (வைரம், vairam), emerald (மரகதம், marakatam), blue sapphire (நீலம், nīlam), garnet (கோமேதகம், kōmētakam), red coral (பவளம், pavaḷam), ruby (மாணிக்கம், māṇikkam), pearl (முத்து, muttu), topaz (புட்பராகம், puṭparākam), and cat's eye (வைடூரியம், vaiṭūriyam).
தொன்மெய்ப்பாடுtoṉmeyppāṭuAlso known as navarasam as per the dance expressions. These are joyful (uvakai), humour (nakai), cries (aḻukai), innocent (vekuḷi), proud (perumitam), fear (accam), disgust (iḷivaral), wonder (maruṭkai), and tranquility (amaiti).[5]

Influence on other dravidian languages

As the ancient classical language of the Dravidian languages, Tamil numerals influenced and shaped the numerals of the others in the family. The following table compares the main Dravidian languages.

Number Tamil Kannada Malayalam Tulu Telugu Kolami Kurukh Brahui Proto-Dravidian
1 oṉṟu ondu onnŭ oñji okaṭi okkod oṇṭa asiṭ *oru(1)
2 iraṇḍu eraḍu raṇṭŭ eraḍ, iraḍ renḍu irāṭ indiṅ irāṭ *iru(2)
3 mūṉṟu mūru mūnnŭ mūji mūḍu mūndiṅ mūnd musiṭ *muC
4 nālu, nāṉku nālku nālŭ‌ nāl nālugu nāliṅ nākh čār (II) *nān
5 aintu, añju aydu añcŭ ayin, ain ayidu ayd 3 pancē (II) panč (II) *cayN
6 āṟu āru āṟŭ āji āru ār 3 soyyē (II) šaš (II) *caru
7 ēḻu ēḷu ēḻŭ ēḍ, ēl, ēḷ ēḍu ēḍ 3 sattē (II) haft (II) *ēlu
8 eṭṭu eṇṭu eṭṭŭ eḍma, yeḍma, eṇma, enma enimidi enumadī 3 aṭṭhē (II) hašt (II) *eṭṭu
9 oṉpatu ombattu onpatŭ ormba tommidi tomdī 3 naiṃyē (II) nōh (II) *toḷ
10 pattu hattu pattŭ patt padi padī 3 dassē (II) dah (II) *pat(tu)

Also, Tamil through the Pallava script which itself through the Kawi script, Khmer script and other South-east Asian scripts has shaped the numeral grapheme of most South-east Asian languages.

History

Before the Government of India unveiled ₹ as the new rupee symbol, people in Tamil Nadu used the Tamil letter ௹ as the symbol. This symbol continues to be used occasionally as rupee symbol by Indian Tamils. It is also used by Tamils in Sri Lanka.

The symbol ௳ is also known as the Piḷḷaiyār Suḻi (lit. 'Curl of Piḷḷaiyār'), a symbol that most Tamil Hindus will start off any auspicious document with. It is written to invoke the god Piḷḷaiyār, known otherwise as Ganesha, who is the remover of obstacles.

See also

References

  1. ↑ N. Subrahmanian (1996). Śaṅgam polity: the administration and social life of the Śaṅgam Tamils (3 ed.). Ennes Publications. pp. 235, 416. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  2. ↑ Selvakumar, V. (2016). History of Numbers and Fractions and Arithmetic Calculations in the Tamil Region: Some Observations. HuSS: International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(1), 27-35. https://doi.org/10.15613/HIJRH/2016/V3I1/111730
  3. ↑ Sharma, Shriramana. (2012). Proposal to encode Tamil fractions and symbols. Retrieved 12 March 2019 from https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2012/12231-tamil-fractions-symbols-proposal.pdf
  4. ↑ Government of Tamil Nadu. (2017). Finalized proposal to encode Tamil fractions and symbols. Retrieved 12 March 2019 from http://unicode.org/wg2/docs/n4822-tamil-frac.pdf
  5. ↑ Literary theories in Tamil: with special reference to Tolka:ppiyam. Pondicherry Institute of Linguistics and Culture. 1997. p. 135.
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