Deep in the wombs of computers in Tiruchi and Krishnagiri, an ancient lexicon is hoping to be reborn for a new generation. Satura-aharadi , a dictionary of 60,000 Tamil words compiled in 1732 by Italian Jesuit priest Constanzo Beschi (more popular by his Tamil name Veeramamunivar), is being digitalised.
Overseeing the ongoing project (with a grant of Rs. 3 lakh) is T. Nedunchezhian, associate professor in the Department of Tamil, St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchi. “ Satura-aharadi is an amazing work even by today’s standards,” says Dr. Nedunchezhian. “Veeramamunivar gives us a listing of words, their synonyms, grammatical categories and rhymes for each entry. Taken individually, there are nearly 1,80,000 words to be typed into the database,” he adds.
Dr. Neduchezhian is not one to be daunted by a basic skill like typing. As one who started out with diplomas in Higher Typewriting (English and Tamil), and a training in desktop publishing in the 1980s and ’90s, getting Tamil literary works ready for a digital future has been a constant in his career.
The beta version of Satura-aharadi will be ready by January 2017, after a software agency in Krishnagiri arranges the database alphabetically and installs an internal search engine.
Having typed the words in Tamil Unicode font will allow it to be searched through Google as well, says Dr. Nedunchezhian. “What is now known only to a few research scholars will be thrown open for study by anyone with an interest in the Tamil language. The lexicon will show how history has shaped our language, and perhaps explain how some words have disappeared or have been replaced with foreign-origin usages,” he says.
“Why, for example, do we use the Portuguese word jannal for ‘window’ instead of the already existent saaralam ? Or why did selavu once mean ‘journey’ and now means ‘expenditure’?”
Veeramamunivar is often called the Father of Tamil prose because of his various literary contributions, particularly to lexicography in the language. Besides his poetic masterpiece Thembavani (The Unfading Garland), he also wrote Kavalur Kalambagam , Thonnool and the satirical play Paramarthaguruvin kathai .
‘Satura-aharadi’ was originally intended to serve as a linguistic guide for Christian missionaries to help them adapt to the local milieu. But it has all the makings of one of the most authoritative lexicons in Tamil, says Dr. Nedunchezhian.
“It is interesting to note that nearly all words related to the human anatomy have remained unchanged since the dictionary was published,” he says. “Words denoting household utensils have lingered, though some of the utensils themselves are no longer in use,” he adds.
With higher education in Botany and Tamil Literature, Dr. Nedunchezhian believes his mixed Science and Humanities background has helped him to take to computers early on.
Indexing and cataloguing remains his passion. His doctoral thesis, for example, was on the contextual use of 10,000 Tamil words used in agricultural science. Last year, he conducted research with a University Grants Commission grant of Rs. 5,60,000 on the historical roots of place-names in Nagapattinam district.
“The internet has been a big boon for language studies. For Tamil, electronic publishing is the only way ahead,” says Dr. Nedunchezhian. As a general council member of the U.S.-based non-profit International Forum for Information Technology in Tamil (INFITT), he has been endorsing e-journals as a way to make literature more accessible to the younger generation.
“It is hard to believe, but the lack of Tamil typing skills among Literature students is the chief reason for the absence of research papers in an organised archive,” says Dr. Nedunchezhian. “How long will students and scholars hold the typing centre responsible for the errors in their manuscripts? Wouldn’t it be more practical to learn typing themselves?”
Next on his checklist is Thembavani , which speaks about the life of St. Joseph. Divided into 36 cantos, Thembavani has 3,615 verses.
“I am hoping to create a Big Data document on Thembavani that will help users to search out the exact location of words and their context,” says Dr. Nedunchezhian. “We will be able to narrow down the literary influences on Veeramamunivar, and understand how he used words to their best effect.”
