CHAPTER I
On the Alphabet and Orthography
1. Before commencing this chapter, the student should read the preface, and especially the introductory remarks, which form the conclusion of the preface.
2. This chapter shows the system on which Tamil is written, and explains the pronunciation of the various letters, so far as it is advisable to attempt to do so on paper. It must from the first be clearly understood that it is impossible to explain correctly through the medium of the English language, all the exact shades of pronunciation that occur in the Tamil letters, and in their various combinations. It is presupposed that the student has the assistance of a competent teacher, and without such assistance it is better for him not to attempt to study Tamil for colloquial purposes. With such assistance, it is unnecessary in these pages to do more than give a general description of the sounds of the Tamil letters, leaving the more delicate shades of pronunciation to be communicated by oral instruction.
3. When learning to write Tamil, great care must be taken to form the letters in the proper manner. Watch the teacher as he writes each letter, and notice carefully how he forms it. Theoretically there is no difference between the forms of the Tamil letters in printing and in handwriting; but, as a matter of fact, the printed letters
