“THANINI” – THE ALTERNATIVE SCRIPT FOR TAMIL FOR COMPUTER USAGE
Synopsis:
Tamil is the most ancient language of India. Tamil literature has existed for over two thousand years. The earliest epigraphic records found date from around the third century BCE. The Sangam literature is dated from the 300 BCE – 300 CE. Tamil inscriptions from the age 200 BCE – 100 CE have been discovered from Egypt and Thailand. Tamil culture is uniquely the true reflection of the language.
The present form of Tamil script is the result of gradual transformation of Brahmi, Vattezhuthu and Pallava Grantha scripts over centuries. Of late it is felt that the Tamil scripts deserve to be simplified and rationalized in modern lines, so as to make it ideally suitable for use in computer. In the Chemmozhi Maanadu held in June 2010, this opinion received momentum, pointing out that such an improvement will also accelerate the use of Tamil in modern studies.
The Paper presented here attempts to address this need, by evolving a new form of script “Thanini” for writing Tamil. The advantages of this script may be listed as follows:
• Simplified and logically evolved shapes closely resembling the present Tamil script.
• Drastically reduced number of letter-forms (from 126 to 48) - however combinations of these letter-forms still produce more than 300 letters.
• All 48 letter-forms can be accommodated within the letter keys of a standard QWERTY keyboard.
• Easy to accommodate within the number-buttons of mobile phones.
• The heights of all characters are confined within two standard notebook lines; additionally the characters are of uniform width allowing elegant presentation.
• Less number of pixels required for generating each letter in the screen of computer or mobile phone.
• Enabling of precise pronunciation through the additional features introduced.
• Users of Thanini can easily adopt technical terms from foreign languages with precision of pronunciation. Therefore Thanini is suitable for advanced studies.
This innovation does not aim to replace the existing Tamil script with the new Thanini script, but to keep the latter as an alternative. It is quite common in the world that a language may have more than one script. In line with this practice, Thanini may serve as an alternative script for Tamil, meant for use in computers and mobile phones. The society may in future decide on its extended use for other purposes.
Introduction of the Author, Thiru Su. Gopalakrishnan:
Before introducing the author, it would be appropriate to list the traits the innovator should possess, if an innovation of this kind has to meet its goal. These traits are:
1. Love for the Mother Tongue
2. Ambition to elevate the Mother Tongue to new heights
3. Preparedness to deviate from the conventional approach
4. Reasonable knowledge of other languages and their scripts
5. Wider knowledge of the modern developments in the world
6. Experience in computer usage
7. Artistic taste for the shapes
8. Capacity to judge the ease & speed of creating the shapes
9. Making decisions with confidence, after logical analysis
10. Flair for writing, skilfully explaining the complicated issues to convince others
From the above stated considerations, the Author felt confident of himself, despite not being a full time Tamil Scholar. He however hastens to add that he has written short stories and jokes in his school days and early college days, which appeared in Kalki and Ananda Vikatan. He used to score high marks in Tamil Language and his Tamil Teachers in the school used to appreciate his writing style. Till SSLC, he learnt Science and Mathematics through Tamil as the medium of instruction. After his marriage in 1968, he became a close relative of the modern Tamil writer “Sujatha” Rangarajan, with whom he used to have enjoyable and purposeful discussions. Script reformation also figured in one conversation. The Author could not pursue writing in Tamil, because he worked in North India for nearly 30 years, occupying strenuous and responsible posts in railway system, as explained further.
After being graduated as B.E.(Hons), he worked as Lecturer in Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai for 2 years. Thereafter he joined the Indian Railways Service of Engineers in 1965. Before retiring in 2002 as Additional General Manager, he worked in Andhra, Kerala, Orissa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Delhi. He has also visited other states while working. Apart from working as field engineer, he had gained experience in research and development for high-speed track. He worked on Zambia Railway on deputation in 1982-86. He also served as the Director of the Indian Railways Institute of Civil Engineering, Pune, imparting training to Assistant Engineers to Chief Engineers. He has extensively travelled in Europe, USA and China. He has written nearly 30 technical papers and some of them were published in foreign journals.
The Author has been deeply interested in sketching and painting and has acquired professional skill. This has helped him to design shapes for Thanini script.
The Author has taught writing Tamil to his sister’s sons and to his grand children. This has unfolded many facts about the difficulty in learning and writing Tamil scripts.
With all humility and pride, the Author wishes to hint about what his heritage might have contributed to his thinking faculty. His paternal grandfather hailed from Ettayapuram and he supported Bharathiyar in his social activities. His maternal grandfather was a lawyer and freedom fighter, nurturing friendship with Bharathiyar and Kappalottiya Thamizhar. Both his grandfathers died without seeing free India. The Author’s father was in the State Government Service. For a period of 5 years before his retirement in 1960, he served as Harijan Welfare Officer in Madurai District and his performance was frequently appreciated by the then Chief Minister Thiru K. Kamaraj.
Presently he is working in Malaysia as Technical Adviser for constructing a high-speed railway and he keeps liaison with European and Chinese firms. He is 67 years old.
The above narration should have brought the Author close to you!
You may now click here http://www.sendspace.com/file/ipsaqc to download the Paper “Kaninikketra Thamizh Ezhuthu – Thanini”.
Your feedback may be sent to sgopalakrishnan43@gmail.com, in case you do not want to record your comments in this blogspot. If so, you are requested to give the following information about yourself in your e-mail:
Name, Country, Profession, Your interest in rationalizing Tamil script for computer use.
This blogspot is launched on 20th July 2010.
Key words: Thanini, Danini, Dhanini, Thamizhi, alternative script for Tamil, alternative letters for Tamil, Tamil in computer, reform script for Tamil, rationalize script for Tamil, Gopalakrishnan
