name
Tamil
thuh-MIHR
name
1
A Dravidian language spoken mainly in Tamil Nadu, India, and in Sri Lanka, and by diaspora communities in Singapore, Malaysia, and elsewhere.
"She grew up speaking Tamil at home and English at school."
"Tamil is one of the oldest continuously used languages in the world."
noun
1
A person from Tamil Nadu or Sri Lanka, or of Tamil descent.
"Many Tamils settled in Malaysia during the colonial era."
adj
1
Relating to the Tamil people, their culture, or their language.
"They celebrated the Tamil New Year with family and traditional food."
How to Use Tamil
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBoth the name of a South Indian/Sri Lankan language and the people who speak it.
Common pairings
Tamil Nadu
the Tamil language
Tamil cinema
Word Forms
Tamils plural
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She grew up speaking _____ at home and English at school.
Etymology
From the Tamil word தமிழ் (tamiḻ), the name Tamil speakers use for their own language.