தமிழ் இலக்கண மரபில் புணரியல் மாற்றங்கள்: நேமிநாதம் மற்றும் அதன் முன்னோடிகள் குறித்த ஒரு மொழியியல் பகுப்பாய்வு

Abstract

Grammatical structures play a vital role in preserving the classical nature of the Tamil language. Specifically, 'Punariyal' (Morphophonemics) is a scientific branch that defines the phonological and morphological changes that occur when a preceding word (Nilaimozhi) and a succeeding word (Varumozhi) combine.

Centering on 'Neminatham', authored by Gunaveera Pandithar in the 12th century, this article analyzes morphophonemic changes by comparing it with the foundational texts Tolkappiyam and Nannul. It provides a detailed analysis of:

• Sandhi Methods: The distinctions between Vetrurmai (Case-based) and Alvazhi (Non-case-based) combinations.
• Vikarams (Transformations): The three primary internal changes—Thondral (Insertion), Thirithal (Alteration), and Keduthal (Deletion).
• Prosody (Isai): The methods through which clarity of meaning is achieved through prosodic features.

Furthermore, the findings of this study confirm the essential necessity of these morphophonemic rules in modern Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Translation.

Keywords

• Punariyal (Morphophonemics)
• Neminatham
• Tolkappiyam
• Vikaram
• (Grammatical Transformation)
• Vetrurmai (Case/Declension)
• Alvazhi (Non-case Relation)
• Linguistic Changes
• Computational Linguistics (NLP)