The Tamil language has number words and dedicated symbols for them in the Tamil script. They have mostly been supplanted by Arabic numerals in common usage.

Basic numbering in Tamil (Tamil Illakkam)

Zero

Old Tamil possesses a special numerical character for zero (see Old Tamil numerals below), which is read as (literally, no/nothing). Modern Tamil words for zero include () or ().

First ten numbers ()

Tamil IlakkamArabic Numeral Tamil word and transliteration 0 ()Old Tamil: (), () 1 () 2 () 3 () 4 () 5 () 6 () 7 () 8 () 9 () Old Tamil: () 10 ()

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, () is a combination of (, the prefix for five) and (, which is ten). The prefix for nine changes with respect to the succeeding base 10. + the unvoiced consonant of the succeeding base 10 forms the prefix for nine. For instance, 90 is + ( being the unvoiced version of ), hence, ).

Tamil scriptTamil prefix Transliteration

These are typically void in the Tamil language except for some Hindu references; for example, (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 modern Indian number 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.

ten hundred thousand

day month year debit credit as above rupee numeral

Powers of ten () There are two numeral systems that can be used in the Tamil language: the Tamil system which is as followsSelvakumar, 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

The following are the traditional numbers of the region.

Original Tamil system Rank 10110210310410510610910121015101810201021Words பத்துநூறுஆயிரம்பத்தாயிரம்நூறாயிரம்மெய்யிரம்தொள்ளுண்ஈகியம்நெளைஇளஞ்சிவெள்ளம்ஆம்பல்Character TransliterationTranslationtenhundredthousandten thousandhundred thousandmillionbillion (milliard)trillion (billion)quadrillion (billiard)quintillion (trillion)hundred quintillionsextillion (trilliard)

Current Tamil system

Rank 105 106 107 108 109 1011 1013 1015 1017 1019 1021 1025 Words Character Transliteration Translationlakhten lakhcroreten crorearabkharabnil / hundred kharabpadmashankh / hundred padmahundred shankhten thousand shankhten crore shankh

Partitive numerals ()

Fractions () Proposals to encode Tamil fractions and symbols to Unicode were submitted.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.pdfGovernment 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 As of version 12.0, Tamil characters used for fractional values in traditional accounting practices were added to the Unicode Standard.

Transcribing fractions () Any fraction can be transcribed by affixing - (-il) after the denominator followed by the numerator. For instance, 1/41 can be said as ().

The suffixing of the - () requires the last consonant of the number to be changed to its () form. For example, + ( + ) becomes (); note the () has been omitted.

Common fractions () have names already allocated to them, hence, these names are often used rather than the above method. Glyph x/320 Value Decimal Tamil name Transliteration 𑿀 0.003125 𑿁 0.00625 𑿂 0.0125 𑿄 0.025 𑿆 0.0375 𑿈 0.05 𑿋 0.1 𑿍 0.15 𑿏 0.2 𑿃 0.015625 ழூ 0.03125 𑿇 0.046875 𑿉,𑿊 0.0625 / / 𑿌 0.125 𑿎 0.1875 / / 𑿐 0.25 𑿑,𑿒 0.5 𑿓 0.75 𑿔 × × ×0.003125 when prefixed to a fraction, reduces (downscales) the value of the fraction by a scale of 1/320 (the value of the lowest fraction muntiri).

Other fractions include: Value Name Transliteration = 0.1875 = 0.15 = 0.046875 = 0.0375 = 0.03125 = 0.015625 = 0.009375 = 0.003125 = 0.00234375 = 0.0015625 = 7.8125 = 0.000625 ≈ 5.85938 = 4.6875 = 0.0004 = 3.12500 ≈ 1.95313 = 1.56250 ≈ 9.76563 ≈ 4.65030 ≈ 4.22754 ≈ 6.03935 ≈ 6.71039 ≈ 1.34208 ≈ 2.23680 ≈ 3.19542 ≈ 1.87966 ≈ 1.34261 ≈ 6.71307 ≈ 1.67827 ≈ 2.79711 ≈ 2.79711 ≈ 4.30325 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 () Decimal point is called () in Tamil. For example, 1.1 would be read as (). In Sri Lankan Tamil, Thasam தசம்.

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

Ordinal numbers () Ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix - () after the number, except for 'First'. Ordinal Tamil Transliteration First முதல் Second Third Fourth 101st

Collective numerals () English Tamil Transliteration Single Pair Reproductives + Numeric prefix + noun* Single (pillar), double (pillar)... (), ()- , * Distributives + Numeric prefix + Once, twice... , ,

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.

Tamil Transliteration English One race Two sexesmale (, ), female (, ) Three sections of Tamilliterature (, ), music (, ), and drama (, ) Four scriptures Five senses Six tastessweet (), pungent (), bitter (), sour (), salty (), and astringent (). Seven musical notes (, , , , , , ) Eight directionseast (), west (), north (), south (), south-west (), south-east (), north-west (), and north-east (). Nine gemsdiamond (, ), emerald (, ), blue sapphire (, ), garnet (, ), red coral (, ), ruby (, ), pearl (, ), topaz (, ), and cat's eye (, ). Also known as as per the dance expressions. These are joyful (), humour (), cries (), innocent (), proud (), fear (), disgust (), wonder (), and tranquility ().

Influence on other Dravidian languages As the ancient classical Dravidian language, 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 Telugu Tulu Kolami Kurukh Brahui Proto-Dravidian 1 *oru(1) 2 , *iru(2) 3 *muC 4 , (II) *nān 5 , , 3 (II) (II) *cayN 6 3 (II) (II) *caru 7 , , 3 (II) (II) *ēlu 8 , , , 3 (II) (II) *eṭṭu 9 3 (II) (II) *toḷ 10 3 (II) (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 (), a symbol that most Tamil Hindus will start off any auspicious document with. It is written to invoke the god , known otherwise as Ganesha, who is the remover of obstacles.

See also

Kaṇita Tīpikai Tamil script Tamil units of measurement

References