Tamil script

The Tamil script is an abugida used to write the Tamil language, which is spoken primarily by the Tamil people of India and Sri Lanka, as well as by the Tamil diaspora. It is also used to write minority languages such as Saurashtra, Badaga, and Irula.

The script is derived from the Brahmi script. Its origin is debated, but it is generally accepted to have evolved from a southern variant of Brahmi. The earliest inscriptions in Tamil script are dated to the 3rd century BCE.

The Tamil script consists of 12 vowels (உயிரெழுத்து, uyireḻuttu), 18 consonants (மெய்யெழுத்து, meyyeḻuttu), and one special character, the aytha eḻuttu (ஃ). The vowels and consonants combine to form 216 compound characters (உயிர்மெய்யெழுத்து, uyirmeyyeḻuttu), representing a vowel sound combined with a consonant.

Unlike many other Brahmic scripts, Tamil has a relatively small number of graphemes because it uses a system of distinct glyph shapes to indicate the inherent vowel a after consonants and modifies those shapes with diacritics to represent other vowels. It does not generally use explicit vowel signs for the inherent vowel a.

The script has undergone several revisions over time. Notable reforms occurred in the 20th century, aimed at simplifying the script and making it easier to type and print. These reforms standardized certain letterforms and reduced the number of compound characters in use.

Tamil script is written from left to right. It does not have case distinctions (upper case or lower case letters). Punctuation marks are largely based on Western models.

The Tamil script plays a significant role in the cultural identity of the Tamil people and is used in a wide range of contexts, including literature, education, and administration.