Nellai Tamil, also known as Tirunelveli Tamil, is one of the dialects of Tamil which is spoken in the districts of Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi as well as over the vast area of south Tamil Nadu which was once ruled by the Pandiya Kings. Nellai Tamil is also known as Thenpaandi Tamil. Thenpaandi Seemai refers to the part of a Pandya kingdom which includes the present day Tirunelveli and Tuticorin Districts.
The Tirunelveli Tamil Dialect (TTD) has on the whole 41 phonemes of which 31 are segmental and the remaining 10 are suprasegmental. Nellai Tamil also preserves archaic kinship terms that other dialects have long discarded. However, the most unusual feature of the Tamil spoken in the Tirunelveli region is that the medial "c" is pronounced as a voiceless palatal affricate as in Old Tamil (like the Sanskrit j) and has not undergone the change to the dental "s" as in most other dialects.
Tirunelveli City
Palayamkottai
Tuticorin
Melapalayam
Virudunagar
Poovankurichi
Sankarankovil
Tenkasi
Surandai
Panpoli
Vadakarai
Kovilpatti
Ambasamudram
KADAYAM
Alangulam
Tiruchendur
Manadu
Ezuvaraimukki
Srivaikundam
Nazareth
Udangudi
Thisayanvilai
Nanguneri
kadayanallur
Radhapuram
Sathankulam
Vallioor
pavoorchatram
Thippanampatty
Sengottai
sivanadanoor
Kurumbalaperi
Puliyangudi
Vickramasingapuram
Papanasam
Annaachi = address a known or unknown elder person
Yemmaa = address a known or unknown female
eppadi irukkeeya = How are you
Chuvamthaana = are you doing well?
chuvamaa irukeyalaa = Are you doing well, Are you in good health
Elei, yala = Dai, Hi dude
Yabla = Di
ava = she
thooraama poreeya = are you going far
avan cholludhamle = He says
naa cholludhamla =I am telling you
pailuva = boys
pottachi = girl
ponjadhi = wife
payabulla = fellow
enga = where
ingana = Here
angana = there
nikki = waiting, standing
choli = work
engala pona avan = where did he go
andhaanikku = so
Kalavaani = Thief
aviya, iviya = Him (respectful form - III-person Singular), They (also used for III-person plural)
settha neeram = After some time
podi ulli = sambar vengayam (onion)
pallari = periya vengayam (onion)
Thoravan = Key (Chaavi)
Pydha = Tyre
Makka = used to address each other
anthaala = Like wise(Appadiye)
Kaangala = Not found(Kaanam)
thoora pola = he or she is avoid
thaai = elder sister(thangachi)
Osaka = above(at a higher place)
Methuva pola & paiyya pola = go slow
Mandaya paru = look at the head
Mooncha paru = look at the face
Sanga aruthruvemla = cut the neck
Akka= Elder Sister
Thankachi= Younger Sister
Kotti kara paya = mental
Vaariyal = sweeper
Annan = Elder Brother
Thambi = Younger brother
Maruthani= Henna
Nalla Irukkiyala? =Are you fine?
Kirukku Paya = Mental Boy
Machinan = Brother in Law (Wife's brothers)
Machini = Sister in Law (Wife's younger Sister) Gents can use this word
Maini= Sister in Law (Wife's elder Sister)in some cases maternal uncle's elder daughter
Machan = Brother in law (Sister's Husband)in some cases maternal uncle's elder son
Kolunthiya = Sister in Law (Husband's younger sister)Ladies can use this word
Athan = Elder Son of paternal aunty in some cases our elder sister's husband
Anni = Elder Daughter of Paternal aunty in some cases our elder brother's wife
Veettukkari/Pontatti/Manaivi = Wife
Veettukkarar/Purushan/Kanavan = Husband
Chithi = 1.Mother's own younger sister = Maternal younger aunty 2. Father's younger brother's wife
Chithappa=1.Father's own younger brother= paternal younger uncle 2. Mother's younger sister's husband
Periyamma = 1.Mother's own Elder sister = Maternal Elder aunty 2. Father's Elder brother's wife
Periyappa = 1.Father's own Elder brother= paternal Elder uncle 2. Mother's Elder sister's husband
Tirunoli/Nellai = Tirunelveli = The district in India in Tamil Nadu State which teach the civilisation/Courage/Culturec etc. to the world.
Nellai Tamil has been used in a number of Tamil movies. Some of them are Seevalaperi Pandi Dum Dum Dum, Saamy, Ayya, Kovil, Thamiraparani, Roja, Thirunelveli, Kushi, Sillunu Oru Kadhal, Raman Thediya Seethai, Pidichirukku, Kannum kannum, Dasavatharam, Seval, Thoothukudi, Veeramum Eeramum, Gentleman, Anniyan, Saadhu, Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naatthu, Punnagai Mannan, Veelai Kedaiciruchu, Tanneer Tanneer, Kadal. osthi, singham, singham II
Kamal Haasan's 2015 movie Papanasam, a remake of the 2013 Malayalam film Drishyam, also features Nellai Tamil.
