Batticaloa Tamil dialect

Batticaloa Tamil dialect (Tamil: மட்டக்களப்புப் பேச்சுத் தமிழ்) is one of the Sri Lankan Tamil dialects, which uses in Eastern provinces Batti - Ampara districts of Sri Lanka. Batticaloa Tamil dialect slightly differs from other Sri Lankan Tamil dialects such as Jaffna Tamil dialect, Negombo Tamil dialect, Estate Tamil dialects, Colombo, Trincomalee & Vanni Tamil dialects.

Batticaloa Tamil dialect has the unique feature. Even though, it has inner different. Commonly, the village dialect slightly differ from urban & suburb dialect, which is amalgamated with significant numbers of English words.

Batticaloa Tamil dialect is shared between Tamils, Moors, Veddhas and Portuguese Burghers in the eastern province. The Tamil dialect used by residents of the Trincomalee district has many similarities with the Jaffna Tamil dialect.^[1]According to Kamil Zvelebil a linguist, the Batticaloa Tamil dialect is the most literary like of all spoken dialects of Tamil, and it has preserved several very antique features, and has remained more true to the literary norm than any other form of Tamil while developing a few striking innovations. Although Batticaloa Tamil has some very specific features of vocabulary, it is classified with other Sri Lankan Tamil dialects as it is related to them by characteristic traits of its phonology. It also maintains some words that are unique to present day.^[2] Also, the dialect has less influence of Sanskrit.^[3]

References

1. Kuiper, L.B.J (March 1964). "Note on Old Tamil and Jaffna Tamil". Indo-Iranian Journal (Springer Netherlands) 6 (1): 52–64. doi:10.1007/BF00157142.
2. Subramaniam, Folk traditionas and Songs..., p.9-10
3. மட்டக்களப்பு மாநாட்டு நினைவு மலர்-1996 (பேராசிரியர் ஆ.வேலுப்பிள்ளை)

External links

• பழந்தமிழ் இலக்கியத்தில் மட்டக்களப்புத் தமிழ்(Tamil)
• மட்டக்களப்புப் பிரதேச வழக்குச் சொற்கள் சொற்றொடர்களினதும் பழ மொழிகளினதும் அகராதி(Tamil)
• மட்டக்களப்புத் தமிழகம்(Tamil)