A Comparative Study of a Phonological System Between Tamil and English Languages
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Date
2020
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Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka
Abstract
Comparative linguistics is the branch of linguistics that is concerned with the similarities
and differences between languages. English and Tamil languages belong to two different
language families. The comparative analysis of the phonological system between these
languages is hard to find in literature. Therefore, this paper aimed to attempt a
comparative study of the phonological system between these two Languages.
Furthermore, this study investigated the difficulties encountered by Tamil language
speakers in the area of phonology when they learn the English language. The study
reviewed related previous studies and used them as authentic phonological materials.
First, this research has identified phonological systems in the area of alphabetical, lexical,
phonological comparisons. In the alphabetical comparison, it found that English has both
Capital and Simple letters, but not in the Tamil language. Both languages consist of both
vowels and consonants. But in Tamil, it has an extra alphabetical category, it is called
Uyirmei eluthukkal (mixed of vowel and consonant). Further, the fricativisation process
has been identified in Tamil phonology and it was marked by a grapheme known as
Aytham. Moreover, the Tamil language has used five more Alphabet from Grantha
alphabets. In the lexical comparison, English does not have categories of phonemes, but
in Tamil has long and short phonemes of vowels. Further, some phones are considered as
allophones in the Tamil language. But in English, they are considered as phones.
Furthermore, some Silent words that are used in English but not in Tamil. Moreover, they
are phonetically Antonyms in both languages. Finally, a major difficulty for Tamil
speakers that when pronouncing in English, stress is important. But it does not in Tamil.
This study concludes that some considerable phonological similarities and differences
exist between both Tamil and English languages.
Keywords: Differences, English, Language phonological system, Tamil
Description
Keywords
Education, Linguistics Study, Language, Tamil and English Languages