Translation:Tolkappiyam/Vocative case

by Tolkappiyar

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Source in Tamil

Note

1. The first serial number denotes the verse in the whole literature Tolkappiyam .
2. The second one denotes the verse in the Second section of the literature.
3. The third one denotes the verse in the part of the literature dealt here.

Translation Example to the verse, cited by Elamburanar, an interpreter to the literature ‘Tolkappiyam’ who belongs to 11th century A.D. and others is given indented star-mark.

This chapter speaks on vocative case.

Definition

• Vocative case is a distinctive signaling manifest in the noun that makes it. 598, 115, 1
• What the vocative case declension is shall need elucidation here. 599, 116, 2

Names of human generic class ending in vowels

• Only the names ending with the four vowels, [i], [u], [ai] and [oo’] in human generic class will make vocative case. 600, 117, 3
• Ending [i] gets manifested [ii] and [ai] gets [aay] in vocation. 601, 118, 4
• Words ending with [oo’] and [u] gets manifested changing the end into [ooo’] and [o’] respectively. 602, 119, 5
• Mentioned [u] above is shortened [u]. 603, 120, 6
• The names ending in other vowel do not make vocative mood. 604, 121, 7
• Names ending with full fledged [u] make vocative with additional arsis; [thoo’l”i] makes vocative becoming [thoo’l” ii] = girl friend to a girl. 605, 122, 8
• Kinship name ending in [ai] will become [aa]. 606, 123, 9
• No name has been changed in vocative case while the addressee is nearby. 607, 124, 10

Names of human generic class ending in consonants

• Names ending in the four consonant [n], [r], [l] and [l’] will make vocative in human generic class. 608, 125, 11
• Other consonants do not stand in names of human generic class. 609, 126, 12
• Among them [an] ending become changing [aa]. 610, 127, 13
• The change will be [a] while the recipient is standing nearby. 611, 128, 14
• There is no change in [aan] ending. 612, 129, 15
• The verbal noun of this kind will change into [aay]. 613, 130, 16
• Nouns having attribution also change in this way. 614, 131, 17
• Names ending in arsis change accordingly (verse 605, 122, 8). 615, 132, 18
• Names denoting kinship come with additional [ee’]. 616, 133, 19
• Pronouns denoting first person singular, first and third person plural, interrogation, etc. decline the vocative case. 617, 134, 20
• Names ending with [aar] and [ar] will change into [iir]. 618, 135, 21
• Verbal noun changing into [ee’] additional may also be acceptable. 619, 136, 22
• Names having attribution may also come in this way. 620, 137, 23
• Names ending in arsis change accordingly (verse 605, 122, 8). 621, 138, 24
• Demonstrative pronoun accords as discussed above; i.e. denies vocative case. 622, 139, 25
• Pronouns denoting second person and interrogation also deny vocative case. 623, 140, 26
• Names of persons ending in other two consonants [l] and [l’] come with the change of lengthening the penultimate vowel. 624, 141, 27
• Names having already penultimate vowel lengthened do not have any change. 625, 142, 28
• Verbal nouns and nouns having attribution ending in [l] and [l’] will be changed into [aay]. 626, 143, 29
• Names denting kinship do come in the same way as discussed above; i.e. while the recipient is in somewhat distance their endings accept additional [ee’], while the recipient is nearby they have no change. 627, 144, 30
• Demonstrative pronouns and interrogative words ending the two vowels discussed here deny vocative case. 628, 145, 31
• Names ending in arsis, in the two vowels discussing here, do not change. 629, 146, 32

Names of neutral class

• Common names to both human generic class and non-human generic class accept vocative case as discussed above in their respective categories of endings. 630, 147, 33

Names of non-human generic class

• Words belonging to non-human generic class ending either in vowel or consonant accept [ee’] explicating the ending. 631, 148, 34

Distance call

• While the addressee is so far distance the vocative declination may have some additional explicating arsis. 632, 149, 35

Word ‘amma’

• Word ‘amma’ not being in the sense of kinship, being in the sense of ‘pardon me’ or ‘listen me’ will have lengthening of vowel at the end. 633, 150, 36

Indeclinable terms in human generic class

• Pronouns beginning with [na] (first person), [nu] (second persion) and [tha] (third person) do not have vocative case. 634, 151, 37