Tamil numerals

Numeral system

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Tamil is written in a non-Latin script. Tamil text used in this article is transliterated into the Latin script according to the ISO 15919 standard.

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A milestone which uses both Tamil and Indo-Arabic Numerals (Tanjore Palace Museum). Modern Tamil numerals featured on a 100 Mauritian rupee note.

The Tamil language has number words and dedicated symbols for them in the Tamil script.

## Basic numbering in Tamil

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### Zero

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Old Tamil possesses a special numerical character for zero (see Old Tamil numerals below), which is read as andru (literally, no/nothing). Modern Tamil words for zero include சுழியம் (suḻiyam) or பூஜ்ஜியம் (pūjjiyam).

### First ten numbers (முதல் எண்கள்)

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Modern
Tamil script | Tamil numeral | Tamil word and transliteration

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௦ | 0 | சுழியம் (suḻiyam)
Old Tamil: பாழ் (pāḻ)[1]
௧ | 1 | ஒன்று (oṉṟu)
௨ | 2 | இரண்டு (iraṇḍu)
௩ | 3 | மூன்று (mūṉṟu)
௪ | 4 | நான்கு (nāṉku)
௫ | 5 | ஐந்து (aindhu)
௬ | 6 | ஆறு (āṟu)
௭ | 7 | ஏழு (ēḻu)
௮ | 8 | எட்டு (eṭṭu)
௯ | 9 | ஒன்பது (oṉpathu)
௰ | 10 | பத்து (paththu)

## Transcribing other numbers

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### Reproductive and attributive prefixes

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Tamil has a numeric prefix for each number from 1 to 9, which can be added to the words for the powers of ten (ten, hundred, thousand, etc.) to form multiples of them. For instance, the word for fifty, ஐம்பது (aimpatu) is a combination of ஐ (ai, the prefix for five) and பத்து (pattu, which is ten). The prefix for nine changes with respect to the succeeding base 10. தொ \+ the unvoiced consonant of the succeeding base 10 forms the prefix for nine. For instance, 90 is தொ \+ ண் (ண் being the unvoiced version of ணூ), hence, தொண்ணூறு).

Tamil script | Tamil prefix | Transliteration

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௧ | ஓர் | ōr
௨ | ஈர் | īr
௩ | மூ | mū
௪ | நான் | nāṉ
௫ | ஐ | ai
௬ | ஆறு | āṟ(u)
௭ | ஏழ் | ēḻ(u)
௮ | எண் | eṇ

These are typically void in the Tamil language except for some Hindu references; for example, அட்ட இலட்சுமிகள் (the eight Lakshmis). Even in religious contexts, the Tamil language is usually more preferred for its more poetic nature and relatively low incidence of consonant clusters.

### Specific characters

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Unlike other modern Indian number systems, Tamil has distinct digits for 10, 100, and 1000. It also has distinct characters for other number-based aspects of day-to-day life.

ten | hundred | thousand

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௰ | ௱ | ௲
day | month | year | debit | credit | as above | rupee | numeral

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௳ | ௴ | ௵ | ௶ | ௷ | ௸ | ௹ | ௺

### Powers of ten (பதின்பெருக்கம்)

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There are two numeral systems that can be used in the Tamil language: the Tamil system which is as follows[2] [clarification needed]

The following are the traditional numbers of the Tamiḻakam region.[clarification needed]

#### Original Tamil system

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Rank  | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 109 | 1012 | 1015 | 1018 | 1020 | 1021

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Words  | பத்து  | நூறு  | ஆயிரம்  | பத்தாயிரம்  | நூறாயிரம்  | மெய்யிரம்  | தொள்ளுண்  | ஈகியம்  | நெளை  | இளஞ்சி  | வெள்ளம்  | ஆம்பல்
Character  | ௰ | ௱ | ௲ | ௰௲ | ௱௲ | ௲௲ | ௲௲௲ | ௲௲௲௲ | ௲௲௲௲௲ | ௲௲௲௲௲௲ | ௱௲௲௲௲௲௲ | ௲௲௲௲௲௲௲
Transliteration  | pattu | nūṟu | āyiram | pattāyiram | nūṟāyiram | meyyiram | toḷḷuṇ | īkiyam | neḷai | iḷañci | veḷḷam | āmbal
Translation  | ten | hundred | thousand | ten thousand | hundred thousand | million | billion (milliard)  | trillion (billion)  | quadrillion (billiard)  | quintillion (trillion)  | hundred quintillion  | sextillion (trilliard)

#### Current Tamil system

[edit]

See also: Indian numbering system

Rank  | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 1011 | 1013 | 1015 | 1017 | 1019 | 1021 | 1025

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Words  | இலட்சம் | பத்து இலட்சம் | கோடி | பத்துக் கோடி | அற்புதம் | நிகர்ப்புதம் | கர்வம் | சங்கம் | அர்த்தம் | பூரியம் | முக்கொடி | மாயுகம்
Character  | ௱௲ | ௲௲ | ௰௲௲ | ௱௲௲ | ௲௲௲ | ௱௲௲௲ | ௱௲௲௲௲ | ௲௲௲௲௲ | ௱௲௲௲௲௲ | ௰௲௲௲௲௲௲ | ௲௲௲௲௲௲௲ | ௰௲௲௲௲௲௲௲௲
Transliteration  | ilaṭcam | pattu ilaṭcam | kōṭi | pattuk kōṭi | aṟputam | nikarpputam | karvam | śaṅkam | arttam | pūriyam | mukkoṭi | māyukam
Translation  | lakh | ten lakh  | crore | ten crore  | arab  | kharab  | nil / hundred kharab  | padma  | shankh / hundred padma  | hundred shankh  | ten thousand shankh  | ten crore shankh

### Partitive numerals (பகுத்தல்)

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#### Fractions (பின்னம்)

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Proposals to encode Tamil fractions and symbols to Unicode were submitted.[3][4] As of version 12.0, Tamil characters used for fractional values in traditional accounting practices were added to the Unicode Standard.

##### Transcribing fractions (பின்னம் எழுத்தல்)

[edit]

Any fraction can be transcribed by affixing -இல் (-il) after the denominator followed by the numerator. For instance, 1/41 can be said as நாற்பத்து ஒன்றில் ஒன்று (nāṟpattu oṉṟil oṉṟu).

The suffixing of the -இல் (-il) requires the last consonant of the number to be changed to its இ (i) form. For example, மூன்று \+ இல் (mūṉṟu \+ -il) becomes மூன்றில் (mūṉṟil); note the உ (u) has been omitted.

Common fractions (பொது பின்னங்கள்) have names already allocated to them, hence, these names are often used rather than the above method.

Value  | 1⁄4 | 1⁄2 | 3⁄4 | 1⁄5 | 1⁄8 | 1⁄10 | 1⁄16 | 1⁄20 | 1⁄40 | 1⁄80 | 1⁄160

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Symbol  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Name  | கால் | அரை | முக்கால் | நாலுமா | அரைக்கால் | இருமா | மாகாணி, வீசம் | ஒருமா | அரைமா | காணி | அரைக்காணி
Transliteration  | kāl | arai | mukkāl | nālumā | araikkāl | irumā | mākāṇi, vīsam | orumā | araimā | kāṇi | araikkāṇi

Other fractions include:

Value | Name | Transliteration

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3⁄16 = 0.1875 | மும்மாகாணி | mummākāṇi
3⁄20 = 0.15 | மும்மா | mummā
3⁄64 = 0.046875 | முக்கால்வீசம் | mukkālvīsam
3⁄80 = 0.0375 | முக்காணி | mukkāṇi
1⁄32 = 0.03125 | அரைவீசம் | araivīsam
1⁄64 = 0.015625 | கால் வீசம் | kāl vīsam
3⁄320 = 0.009375 | முக்கால்காணி | mukkālkāṇi
1⁄320 = 0.003125 | முந்திரி | muntiri
3⁄1280 = 0.00234375 | கீழ் முக்கால் | kīḻ mukkāl
1⁄640 = 0.0015625 | கீழரை | kīḻarai
1⁄1280 = 7.8125×10−4 | கீழ் கால் | kīḻ kāl
1⁄1600 = 0.000625 | கீழ் நாலுமா | kīḻ nālumā
3⁄5120 ≈ 5.85938×10−4 | கீழ் மூன்று வீசம் | kīḻ mūṉṟu vīsam
3⁄6400 = 4.6875×10−4 | கீழ் மும்மா | kīḻ mummā
1⁄2500 = 0.0004 | கீழ் அரைக்கால் | kīḻ araikkāl
1⁄3200 = 3.12500×10−4 | கீழ் இருமா | kīḻ irumā
1⁄5120 ≈ 1.95313×10−4 | கீழ் வீசம் | kīḻ vīsam
1⁄6400 = 1.56250×10−4 | கீழொருமா | kīḻorumā
1⁄102400 ≈ 9.76563×10−6 | கீழ்முந்திரி | kīḻmuntiri
1⁄2150400 ≈ 4.65030×10−7 | இம்மி | immi
1⁄23654400 ≈ 4.22754×10−8 | மும்மி | mummi
1⁄165580800 ≈ 6.03935×10−9 | அணு | aṇu[1]
1⁄1490227200 ≈ 6.71039×10−10 | குணம் | kuṇam
1⁄7451136000 ≈ 1.34208×10−10 | பந்தம் | pantam
1⁄44706816000 ≈ 2.23680×10−11 | பாகம் | pāgam
1⁄312947712000 ≈ 3.19542×10−12 | விந்தம் | vintam
1⁄5320111104000 ≈ 1.87966×10−13 | நாகவிந்தம் | nāgavintam
1⁄74481555456000 ≈ 1.34261×10−14 | சிந்தை | sintai
1⁄1489631109120000 ≈ 6.71307×10−16 | கதிர்முனை | katirmuṉai
1⁄59585244364800000 ≈ 1.67827×10−17 | குரல்வளைப்படி | kuralvaḷaippaḍi
1⁄3575114661888000000 ≈ 2.79711×10−19 | வெள்ளம் | veḷḷam
1⁄357511466188800000000 ≈ 2.79711×10−21 | நுண்மணல் | nuṇmaṇal
1⁄2323824530227200000000 ≈ 4.30325×10−22 | தேர்த்துகள் | tērttugaḷ

^ Aṇu was considered as the lowest fraction by ancient Tamils as size of smallest physical object (similar to an atom). Later, this term went to Sanskrit to refer directly to atoms.[citation needed]

#### Decimals (பதின்மம்)

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Decimal point is called புள்ளி (puḷḷi) in Tamil. For example, 1.1 would be read as ஒன்று புள்ளி ஒன்று (oṉṟu puḷḷi oṉṟu). In Sri Lankan Tamil, Thasam தசம்.

#### Percentage (விழுக்காடு)

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Percentage is known as விழுக்காடு (viḻukkāḍu) in Tamil or சதவீதம் (śatavītam). These words are simply added after a number to form percentages. For instance, four percent is நான்கு சதவீதம் (nāṉku satavītam) or நான்கு விழுக்காடு (nāṉku viḻukkāḍu). Percentage symbol (%) is also recognised and used.

### Ordinal numbers (வரிசை எண்கள்)

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Ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix -ஆம் (ām) after the number, except for 'First'.

Ordinal  | Tamil  | Transliteration

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First | முதல் | mudal (/muðal/)
Second | இரண்டாம் | iraṇḍām
Third | மூன்றாம் | mūṉṟām
Fourth | நான்காம் | nāṉkām
101st | நூற்று ஒன்றாம் | nūṟṟu oṉṟām

### Collective numerals (கூட்டெண்கள்)

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English | Tamil | Transliteration

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Single | ஒற்றை | oṟṟai
Pair | இரட்டை | iraṭṭai
Reproductives | ௺ \+ வினைச்சொல் | Numeric prefix + noun*
Single (pillar), double (pillar)... | ஒருக்(கால்), இருக்(கால்)- | oruk(kāl), iruk(kāl)*
Distributives | ௺ \+ முறை | Numeric prefix + muṟai
Once, twice... | ஒருமுறை, இருமுறை | orumuṟai, irumuṟai

* As always, when blending two words into one, an unvoiced form of the consonant as the one that the second starts with, is placed in between to blend.

## Traditional Tamil counting song

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This song is a list of each number with a concept its primarily associated with.

Tamil | Transliteration | English

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ஒரு குலம் | oru kulam | One race
ஈரினம் | īriṉam | Two sexes – male (ஆண், āṇ), female (பெண், peṇ)
முத்தமிழ் | muttamiḻ | Three sections of Tamil – literature (இயல், iyal), music (இசை, isai), and drama (நாடகம், nāṭakam)
நான்மறை | nāṉmaṟai | Four scriptures
ஐம்புலன் | aimpulaṉ | Five senses
அறுசுவை | aṟucuvai | Six tastes – sweet (iṉippu), pungent (kārppu), bitter (kasappu), sour (puḷippu), salty (uvarppu), and astringent (tuvarppu).
ஏழிசை | ēḻicai | Seven musical notes (kural, tuttam, kaikkiḷai, uḻai, iḷi, viḷari, tāram)
எண் பக்கம் | eṇ pakkam | Eight directions – east (kiḻakku), west (mēṟku), north (vaḍakku), south (teṟku), south-west (teṉ-mēṟku), south-east (teṉ-kiḻakku), north-west (vaḍa-mēṟku), and north-east (vaḍa-kiḻakku).
நவமணிகள் | navamaṇikaḷ | Nine gems – diamond (வைரம், vairam), emerald (மரகதம், marakatam), blue sapphire (நீலம், nīlam), garnet (கோமேதகம், kōmētakam), red coral (பவளம், pavaḷam), ruby (மாணிக்கம், māṇikkam), pearl (முத்து, muttu), topaz (புட்பராகம், puṭparākam), and cat's eye (வைடூரியம், vaiṭūriyam).
தொன்மெய்ப்பாடு | toṉmeyppāṭu | Also known as navarasam as per the dance expressions. These are joyful (uvakai), humour (nakai), cries (aḻukai), innocent (vekuḷi), proud (perumitam), fear (accam), disgust (iḷivaral), wonder (maruṭkai), and tranquility (amaiti).[5]

## Influence on other dravidian languages

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As the ancient classical language of the Dravidian languages, Tamil numerals influenced and shaped the numerals of the others in the family. The following table compares the main Dravidian languages.

Number  | Tamil | Kannada | Malayalam | Tulu | Telugu | Kolami | Kurukh | Brahui | Proto-Dravidian

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1  | oṉṟu | ondu | onnŭ | oñji | okaṭi | okkod | oṇṭa | asiṭ | *oru(1)
2  | iraṇḍu | eraḍu | raṇṭŭ | eraḍ, iraḍ | renḍu | irāṭ | indiṅ | irāṭ | *iru(2)
3  | mūṉṟu | mūru | mūnnŭ | mūji | mūḍu | mūndiṅ | mūnd | musiṭ | *muC
4  | nālŭ, nāṉku | nālku | nālŭ | nāl | nālugu | nāliṅ | nākh | čār (II)  | *nān
5  | aintu, añju | aydu | añcŭ | ayin, ain | ayidu | ayd 3 | pancē (II)  | panč (II)  | *cayN
6  | āṟu | āru | āṟŭ | āji | āru | ār 3 | soyyē (II)  | šaš (II)  | *caru
7  | ēḻu | ēḷu | ēḻŭ | ēḍ, ēl, ēḷ | ēḍu | ēḍ 3 | sattē (II)  | haft (II)  | *ēlu
8  | eṭṭu | eṇṭu | eṭṭŭ | eḍma, yeḍma, eṇma, enma | enimidi | enumadī 3 | aṭṭhē (II)  | hašt (II)  | *eṭṭu
9  | oṉpatu | ombattu | onpatŭ | ormba | tommidi | tomdī 3 | naiṃyē (II)  | nōh (II)  | *toḷ
10  | pattu | hattu | pattŭ | patt | padi | padī 3 | dassē (II)  | dah (II)  | *pat(tu)

Also, Tamil through the Pallava script which itself through the Kawi script, Khmer script and other South-east Asian scripts has shaped the numeral grapheme of most South-east Asian languages.

## History

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Before the Government of India unveiled ₹ as the new rupee symbol, people in Tamil Nadu used the Tamil letter ௹ as the symbol. This symbol continues to be used occasionally as rupee symbol by Indian Tamils. It is also used by Tamils in Sri Lanka.

The symbol ௳ is also known as the Piḷḷaiyār Suḻi (lit. 'Curl of Piḷḷaiyār'), a symbol that most Tamil Hindus will start off any auspicious document with. It is written to invoke the god Piḷḷaiyār, known otherwise as Ganesha, who is the remover of obstacles.

## See also

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* Kaṇita Tīpikai
* Tamil script
* Tamil units of measurement

## References

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1. ^ N. Subrahmanian (1996). Śaṅgam polity: the administration and social life of the Śaṅgam Tamils (3 ed.). Ennes Publications. pp. 235, 416. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
2. ^ Selvakumar, V. (2016). History of Numbers and Fractions and Arithmetic Calculations in the Tamil Region: Some Observations. HuSS: International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(1), 27-35. https://doi.org/10.15613/HIJRH/2016/V3I1/111730
3. ^ Sharma, Shriramana. (2012). Proposal to encode Tamil fractions and symbols. Retrieved 12 March 2019 from https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2012/12231-tamil-fractions-symbols-proposal.pdf
4. ^ Government of Tamil Nadu. (2017). Finalized proposal to encode Tamil fractions and symbols. Retrieved 12 March 2019 from http://unicode.org/wg2/docs/n4822-tamil-frac.pdf
5. ^ Literary theories in Tamil: with special reference to Tolka:ppiyam. Pondicherry Institute of Linguistics and Culture. 1997. p. 135.

* v
* t
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Tamil language

History|

* Old Tamil
* Middle Tamil
* Modern Tamil
* Manipravalam
* Proto-Dravidian
* Proto-South Dravidian
* Tamil Sangams
* First Sangam
* Second Sangam
* Third Sangam

Dialects|

| Indian|

* Bangalore Tamil dialects
* Central Tamil dialect
* Kongu Tamil
* Madras Bashai
* Madurai Tamil
* Nellai Tamil

|

Sri Lankan|

* Negombo
* Batticaloa
* Jaffna

Southeast Asian|

* Malaysian Tamil

Sociolects|

* Arwi
* Brahmin Tamil

Literature|

| Constructs and
themes|

* Akam
* Iraichchi
* Kural
* Puram
* Thinai
* Ullurai
* Ula
* Venpa

|

Classics|

* Athichudi
* Five Great Epics
* Five Minor Epics
* Ponniyin Selvan
* Sangam literature
* Eighteen Lesser Texts
* Ettuthokai
* Pathupattu
* Poets
* Tamil books of Law
* Thirukkural

Devotional|

* Cirappuranam
* Ganapthi texts
* Vinayagar Agaval
* Kanda Puranam
* Naalayira Divya Prabhandham
* Ramavataram
* Thembavani
* Tirumurai
* Tirumurukarruppatai
* Thiruppugal
* Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam
* Tirumurai

Grammar and
dictionaries|

* Agattiyam
* Caturakarati
* Nannul
* Purapporul Venbamaalai
* Tamil Lexicon
* Tolkappiyam

Science|

* Asthana Kolahalam
* Kaṇakkatikāram
* Kaṇita Tīpikai
* Yerambam

Others|

* Commentaries
* Yalpana Vaipava Malai

Scripts|

* Kolezhuthu
* Megalithic graffiti symbols
* Modern script
* Pallava grantha
* Simplified Tamil script
* Standardisation of Tamil script
* Tamil-Brahmi
* Tamil Braille
* Vatteluttu

Lexis and grammar|

* Tamil grammar
* Tamil honorifics
* Tamil numerals

Phonology|

* Tamil phonology
* Tamil onomatopoeia
* Tamil prosody

Tamil and other languages|

* Dravido-Korean
* Words of Tamil origin
* English
* Sinhala
* Loanwords
* Indo-Aryan
* Malay

Transliteration|

* ISO
* Mozhi

Institutions|

* Central Institute of Classical Tamil
* Tamil Heritage Foundation
* Tamil Virtual University

Projects and events|

* Tanittamil Iyakkam
* Project Madurai
* World Classical Tamil Conference 2010
* World Tamil Conference

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