The importance of Tamil loanwords in Hebrew lies in the fact that these words are the earliest recorded attestation of the Tamil language. At some point before 500 BCE, they were incorporated into the various writings of the Hebrew Bible. Although a number of authors have identified many biblical and post-biblical words originating from Old Tamil or the Dravidian languages in general, a number of them have competing etymologies, and some Tamil derivations are considered controversial. It is believed that Tamil's linguistic interaction with Biblical Hebrew, which belongs to the Afroasiatic languages, occurred amidst the wider international exchange of goods and ideas (e.g., the ancient spice trade) between merchants travelling throughout Eurasia via the Silk Road.
Origins
The incorporation of Tamil loanwords into the Hebrew language originally came about through the interactions of merchants from the Levant and South India. The mainstream view is that the beginnings of trade between the Mediterranean Basin and South India can be traced back to 500 BCE, when the word (), which was derived from the Old Tamil *cinki-ver () (for "ginger"), first appeared in Ancient Greek. This indicates South Indians possibly having been involved in trade with the various Mediterranean civilizations centuries earlier.Southworth, F.Linguistic Archaeology of South Asia, p. 251 There is some evidence that trade between Greater India and the peoples inhabiting the Mediterranean may have been well established by 1500 BCE.
Due to its native speakers' location—in the critical path of trade between Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India—ancient Hebrew lexicon contains both cultural words that are common to many languages in the general area and loanwords from other languages, including Greek.Khan, G.Encyclopaedia of Hebrew Languages and Linguistics Volume 1 A-F , p. 640-642 Some of these loanwords are present in the earliest transcripts of the Hebrew Bible from ancient Israel and Judah. By the mid-19th century, Christian missionaries trained in Biblical Hebrew noticed that there were words of Indian origin (Indo-Aryan and Dravidian) in biblical texts, including from the Tamil language.Caldwell, R. A Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian or South-Indian Family of Languages p. 474 Some of the loanwords were borrowed directly from Old Tamil into Biblical Hebrew. Others were borrowed via Akkadian, Aramaic, Greek, Persian, and the South Arabian languages.Rabin, C. Proceedings of the Second International Conference Seminar of Tamil Studies, p. 438 The period of these lexiconic borrowings range from 1000 BCE to 500 BCE.Rabin, C. The Song of Songs and Tamil Poetry p.208-209 The dating of this borrowing depends on the acceptable ranges of dates for the compilation and redaction of the Books of Kings.
Linguistic influences Most of the borrowed words had to do with items of trade that were unique to South India and thus lacked native names in Hebrew.Rabin, C. The Song of Songs and Tamil Poetry p. 205-219Sugirtharajah R. Bible and Asia p.32-33 According to Israeli linguists Chaim Menachem Rabin and Abraham Mariaselvam, the Tamil linguistic impact in Hebrew goes beyond just loanwords. The two languages' contact also influenced their poetic traditions and styles, such as those found in the Hebrew Song of Songs, which, according to Rabin and Mariaselvam, shows the influence of Cankam anthologies.Parthsarathy, R.The cilappatikāram of Iḷaṅko Aṭikaḷ : an epic of South India, p. 282-283
In addition to serving as the earliest attestation of the Tamil language,Price, E. A history of Kannada literature, p. 1James, G. Tamil lexicography, p.10 Hebrew's Tamil loanwords are also an early attestation of the Dravidian languages, to which Tamil belongs. This was before Tamil was widely written, using the Tamil-Brahmi script and dated variously from 600 BCE to 200 BCE. Although a number of authors have identified many biblical and post-biblical words of Tamil, Old Tamil, or Dravidian origin, a number of them have competing etymologies and some Tamil derivations are considered controversial and disputed. There is also a class of words that were borrowed ultimately from the Indo-Aryan languages, which are spoken in North India, but transmitted via Tamil.
In the Hebrew Bible + Known biblical Tamil loanwordsHebrew wordMeaning in HebrewSource language Tamil wordMeaning in Tamilparrots but meant peacocks in the pastTamilfeatherRabin, C. "Lexical borrowings from Indian languages as Carriers of ideas and Technical concept" (in Between Jerusalem and Benares: Comparative Studies in Judaism and Hinduism, p. 29)Chandra M. Trade And Trade Routes In Ancient India, p.45eagle-wood or agarwoodTamilagarwoodRabin C. Proceedings of the Second International Conference Seminar of Tamil Studies, p.434Swaminatha Ayar, R. Dravidian Theories, p. 55turmericprobably Tamil but also possibly Sanskrit ()turmericpalaceprobably Tamil but has competing etymologiespalaceShulman, D. Tamil: A biography, p. 20jugprobably Tamil, cognates in South Dravidian languagessmall vesselPodolsky, B.Past links:Studies in the Languages and Cultures of the Ancient Near East, p. 199-201weaveprobably Tamil, cognates in South Dravidian languages to draw outriceTamil via Akkadianboiled riceRabin, C. Proceedings of the Second International Conference Seminar of Tamil Studies, p. 435-436milletTamil via South Arabianmilletfine textilePossibly related to Tamil, via South Arabian also possibly via Sanskrit. Already attested in Syrian and Akkadian inscriptions dating back to the 9th century BCE.cottonwoodTamil via Akkadianmulberry treetopazTamil or Dravidianbile or yellowWaldman, N. The Recent Study of Hebrew: A Survey of the Literature with Selected Bibliography p. 61monkeyprobably Tamil but also possibly SanskritmonkeyDikshitar R. Origin And Spread Of The Tamils , p.89-90
Post-biblical period Hebrew wordMeaning in HebrewSource language Tamil wordMeaning in Tamil yellow citronTamil via Persian, or alternatively, pomegranate or citronRabin, C. Lexical borrowings from Indian languages as Carriers of ideas and Technical concept (in Between Jerusalem and Benares: Comparative Studies in Judaism and Hinduism, p. 30)riceTamil via South ArabianriceShulman, D. Tamil: A biography, p. 21loomprobably Tamil, cognates in South Dravidian languagesthreadmangoFrom English, via Portuguese originally from Tamilunripe mā (a species) fruit
See also Tamil loanwords in other languages Tamil loanwords in Ancient Greek Indo-Mesopotamia relations Meluhha § Trade with Sumer, most likely an Indian trading partner of Mesopotamia's Sumerian civilization Indian maritime history Indo-Roman trade relations
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