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 CityPalayamkottaiTuticorinMelapalayamVirudunagarPoovankurichiSankarankovilTenkasiSurandaiPanpoliVadakaraiKovilpattiAmbasamudramKADAYAMAlangulamTiruchendurManaduEzuvaraimukkiSrivaikundamNazarethUdangudiThisayanvilaiNangunerikadayanallurRadhapuramSathankulamVallioorpavoorchatramThippanampattySengottaisivanadanoorKurumbalaperiPuliyangudiVickramasingapuramPapanasamAnnaachi = address a known or unknown elder personYemmaa = address a known or unknown femaleeppadi irukkeeya = How are youChuvamthaana = are you doing well?chuvamaa irukeyalaa = Are you doing well, Are you in good healthElei, yala = Dai, Hi dudeYabla = Diava = shethooraama poreeya = are you going faravan cholludhamle = He saysnaa cholludhamla =I am telling youpailuva = boyspottachi = girlponjadhi = wifepayabulla = fellowenga = whereingana = Hereangana = therenikki = waiting, standingcholi = workengala pona avan = where did he goandhaanikku = soKalavaani = Thiefaviya, iviya = Him (respectful form - III-person Singular), They (also used for III-person plural)settha neeram = After some timepodi ulli = sambar vengayam (onion)pallari = periya vengayam (onion)Thoravan = Key (Chaavi)Pydha = TyreMakka = used to address each otheranthaala = Like wise(Appadiye)Kaangala = Not found(Kaanam)thoora pola = he or she is avoidthaai = elder sister(thangachi)Osaka = above(at a higher place)Methuva pola & paiyya pola = go slowMandaya paru = look at the headMooncha paru = look at the faceSanga aruthruvemla = cut the neckAkka= Elder SisterThankachi= Younger SisterKotti kara paya = mentalVaariyal = sweeperAnnan = Elder BrotherThambi = Younger brotherMaruthani= HennaNalla Irukkiyala? =Are you fine?Kirukku Paya = Mental BoyMachinan = Brother in Law (Wife's brothers)Machini = Sister in Law (Wife's younger Sister) Gents can use this wordMaini= Sister in Law (Wife's elder Sister)in some cases maternal uncle's elder daughterMachan = Brother in law (Sister's Husband)in some cases maternal uncle's elder sonKolunthiya = Sister in Law (Husband's younger sister)Ladies can use this wordAthan = Elder Son of paternal aunty in some cases our elder sister's husbandAnni = Elder Daughter of Paternal aunty in some cases our elder brother's wifeVeettukkari/Pontatti/Manaivi = WifeVeettukkarar/Purushan/Kanavan = HusbandChithi = 1.Mother's own younger sister = Maternal younger aunty 2. Father's younger brother's wifeChithappa=1.Father's own younger brother= paternal younger uncle 2. Mother's younger sister's husbandPeriyamma = 1.Mother's own Elder sister = Maternal Elder aunty 2. Father's Elder brother's wifePeriyappa = 1.Father's own Elder brother= paternal Elder uncle 2. Mother's Elder sister's husbandTirunoli/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.
