Tamil enunciations

From the Bhakti List Archives

• October 26, 1995


I always thought that Tamil purists did not accept Sanskrit words.
The Alwars used Sanskrit more often as did the Vaishnavites and
I think this did antagonize the modern Tamils a lot.
I still feel vEngadam ( ta after MM is da ) could have come
vEngai meaning tigers.
Of course enunciations depend on territory. One can get upset
about it. I remeber returning Yesudas's rigved back, because
Vedas can be chanted only one way. Sometimes even the North
India rendering hits you. Same is Balamuralikrishna's 
renderings. He should have kept to Kirthanas. That may be because
I am not a telugu.
Tamil's reduced no. of consonants depends on pronounciation
by proximity. Kampan is really Kambhan.
May be one of you can check into the standardized writing
of Sanskrit and Tamil in Roman letters.
Krish