Sangam Literature, the Thirukkural and the Tamil Language — Practice

Question 1

How many couplets and chapters does the Thirukkural have?

Accepted Answer

1,330 couplets in 133 chapters.

Question 2

Who wrote the Silappatikaram and who wrote Manimekalai?

Accepted Answer

Ilango Adigal wrote the Silappatikaram and Sattanar wrote Manimekalai.

Question 3

Name the five tinai and their landscapes.

Accepted Answer

Kurinji (mountain), Mullai (forest), Marutham (farmland), Neithal (seashore) and Palai (arid land).

Question 4

Name the two main groups of Sangam anthologies and give two examples of each.

Accepted Answer

The Ettuthokai, or Eight Anthologies, such as Purananuru and Akananuru, and the Pattuppattu, or Ten Idylls, such as Maduraikkanci and Pattinappalai.

Question 5

When did Tamil become a classical language, and why is it significant?

Accepted Answer

In 2004, the first Indian language to receive the status, recognising its long recorded history and original literary tradition.

Question 6

Distinguish akam and puram poetry with one example of the tinai convention.

Accepted Answer

Akam poems deal with inner life, love and its moods, while puram poems deal with outer life such as war, kings and generosity. Akam uses five tinai that pair a landscape with a mood, for example Kurinji, the mountain, for the union of lovers, and Palai, the arid land, for separation.

Question 7

Explain the role of U. V. Swaminatha Iyer in Tamil literary heritage.

Accepted Answer

In the late 19th century he searched for palm-leaf manuscripts of Sangam and epic works, edited them and had them printed, which brought many forgotten texts to a wider readership and gave the Sangam age its modern textual base.

Question 8

How many letters are there in the Tamil alphabet?

Accepted Answer

247: twelve vowels, eighteen consonants, one aytham and 216 combined letters.

Practice — Sangam Literature, the Thirukkural and the Tamil Language

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