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Quiz about Vanakkam  to the Tamil Language
Quiz about Vanakkam  to the Tamil Language

Vanakkam to the Tamil Language Quiz


Welcome to Tamil, one of the most ancient languages in the world. This quiz covers some interesting and funny aspects of this language.

A multiple-choice quiz by namastheg. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
namastheg
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
231,774
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
2108
Last 3 plays: Guest 76 (3/10), Guest 49 (6/10), Guest 2 (6/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. What does 'Vanakkam' mean in Tamil? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. To which family of languages does Tamil belong? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. You feel thirsty and want water. Which statement among these should you NOT use to ask for water in Tamil? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Nowadays in urban Tamil Nadu, most people can speak only 'Thanglish', a silly mix of English and Tamil words! How is the name of the language 'English' properly called in Tamil? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. In which of these countries is Tamil NOT an official language? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. What is the Indian state of West Bengal called in Tamil? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. How do you say 'I know Tamil' in Tamil? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The Ramayana is of course one of India's greatest epics. It was originally written in Sanskrit. Who wrote the whole epic in Tamil? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. So far in this quiz, I've been writing 'Tamil', while a more appropriate word is 'Thamizh'. This is because the last letter in the name is a complex retroflex consonant that is not found in the Roman script. The letter is common in Thamizh but people outside south India often find it hard to pronounce. Which of the following languages is one of a very few others in which it occurs? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. All that remains for me to write is 'Nandri, vanakkam'. What do I mean? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Oct 26 2024 : Guest 76: 3/10
Oct 26 2024 : Guest 49: 6/10
Oct 23 2024 : Guest 2: 6/10
Oct 21 2024 : Guest 175: 9/10
Oct 19 2024 : Guest 223: 9/10
Oct 15 2024 : Guest 199: 7/10
Oct 03 2024 : Guest 122: 7/10
Sep 29 2024 : Guest 129: 7/10
Sep 29 2024 : Guest 81: 5/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. What does 'Vanakkam' mean in Tamil?

Answer: Greetings

'Vanakkam' is the word that Tamilians use to greet people. It is also used to indicate 'goodbye' in some situations. This is an aspect quite unique to Tamil because the corresponding words in Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam are all derived from the Sanksrit root word 'Namaha'.

However, in a dialect of Tamil that is used by the Brahmin community of Tamil Nadu (a state of India), 'Namaskaram' is used instead of 'Vanakkam'. The Tamil word for welcome is 'Nalvaravu'.
2. To which family of languages does Tamil belong?

Answer: Dravidian

The Dravidian family, which is predominant in south India, also includes Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Almost all the other major languages of India belong to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family. However Sino-Tibetan and Mon-Khmer languages are spoken in the north east of India.
3. You feel thirsty and want water. Which statement among these should you NOT use to ask for water in Tamil?

Answer: Enakku more vendum

The actual Tamil word for water is 'Thanneer'. But in colloquial Tamil, 'Neer' or 'Thanni' is allowed. 'Jalam' is a Sanskrit word but it is used in some Tamil dialects. If you ask for 'More', you'll be given buttermilk. Interestingly, most people in Tamil Nadu, especially in the rural areas, give buttermilk to tired visitors because it cools the body!
4. Nowadays in urban Tamil Nadu, most people can speak only 'Thanglish', a silly mix of English and Tamil words! How is the name of the language 'English' properly called in Tamil?

Answer: Aangilam

It may be quite weird that 'English' itself is known by different names in different languages. For example, in Hindi it is called 'Angrezi'. The Tamil word 'Aangilam' is from the Sanskrit word 'Aanglam'. Colloquially, people also use 'Engilishu'. Sometimes to mock the language, 'Engilipish' is used! Also a local who boasts in English is jokingly called 'Peter'!
5. In which of these countries is Tamil NOT an official language?

Answer: The Maldives

Dhivehi is the Maldivian language. Interestingly, Tamil is the only Indian language that is official in many other countries. Tamil is also a major language in Mauritius, Malaysia and the UAE mainly because of Tamil immigrants.
6. What is the Indian state of West Bengal called in Tamil?

Answer: Merku Vangam

'Merku' is the Tamil word for west. The region that is now called Bengal was previously known as Vanga. So the old Tamil name for the state stuck and it is called 'Vangam'. However, some people also use the new name and call it 'Vangalam'. On the same lines, Bangladesh is called 'Vangadesam' in Tamil, the word 'Desam' meaning nation.

Another interesting name is 'Amirthasarasu', for the Sikh holy city of Amritsar in northern India. It literally means 'Pool of immortal nectar'.
7. How do you say 'I know Tamil' in Tamil?

Answer: Enakku tamil theriyum

'Enakku tamil puriyum' means I understand Tamil. The other two options are the opposites of these two. The word 'Enakku' literally means 'for me', but the rules of grammar in Tamil are very different from that of English. It is quite funny to see people replying to you in Tamil, 'Enakku tamil theriyadhu' when you ask them if they can speak the language!
8. The Ramayana is of course one of India's greatest epics. It was originally written in Sanskrit. Who wrote the whole epic in Tamil?

Answer: Kamban

Kamban, also called Kambar was a 11th century scholar of both the great ancient languages of India - Sanskrit and Tamil. Strictly speaking, his work 'Kambaramayanam' aka 'Ramavatharam' is not an exact translation but his own version of the original epic. Kalidas was another great scholar who is famous for his Sanskrit works. Agasthya, called 'Agaththiyar' in Tamil, was a legendary saint who was the patron of south India. Thiruvalluvar is by far the greatest Tamil poet ever.

His 'Thirukkural', which is a collection of 1330 'kurals' or couplets of wisdom, is the most revered Tamil literary work.

It has been translated into various world languages. There is a giant statue of Thiruvalluvar at Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of mainland India.
9. So far in this quiz, I've been writing 'Tamil', while a more appropriate word is 'Thamizh'. This is because the last letter in the name is a complex retroflex consonant that is not found in the Roman script. The letter is common in Thamizh but people outside south India often find it hard to pronounce. Which of the following languages is one of a very few others in which it occurs?

Answer: Malayalam

Malayalam is the language that is closest to Thamizh. It is spoken in Kerala state, close to Tamil Nadu in southern India. Also,the Malayalam script is similar to the Thamizh script. Many Tamilians find it amusing when people mispronounce the name of the language.

The correct pronunciation is like this: the first consonant 'Tha' is like 'thu' in the word 'thunder'. Then comes 'mi', as in 'miss'. The retroflex is more complex. Approximately, 'zh' is like 'r' in 'red', pronounced in the British or American way.

Some phonologists say that a similar consonant sound is found in Mandarin Chinese.
10. All that remains for me to write is 'Nandri, vanakkam'. What do I mean?

Answer: Thanks, goodbye

Nandri. Vanakkam.
Source: Author namastheg

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
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