Tamil

Tamil is one of the major languages of Southern India. Principally spoken in the state of Tamil Nadu (formerly Madras) which is on the eastern coast and extends down to the south tip of the Indian subcontinent, Tamil is spoken by about 60 million people in India. It is also spoken by about 4 million people in north-eastern Sri Lanka and 1 million in Malaysia.

The origin of the Tamil alphabet is uncertain, although it is believed to be about 1,500 years old.