Tamil

noun

Tam·​il ˈta-məl  ˈtä- 

1

: a Dravidian language of Tamil Nadu state, India, and of northern and eastern Sri Lanka

2

: a Tamil-speaking person or a descendant of Tamil-speaking ancestors

Examples of Tamil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The program features 22 feature-length films – 18 narratives and four documentaries – plus 21 shorts, spanning more than a dozen languages and regions from Tamil and Odia to Assamese, Hindi, and Malayalam. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Apr. 2025

Linebaugh, a Berkeley native, had no exposure to Tamil, an Indian language primarily spoken in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. —Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2025

Among the buzziest is the Tamil Prince, a collaboration between chef Prince Durairaj, former executive chef of the wildly popular Roti King chainlet, and JKS restaurant group alum Glen Leeson. —Amiel Stanek, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025

Lastly, support now comes in 10 new system languages such as Bangla, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. —Saleen Martin, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Tamil Tamiẓ; akin to Pali Damiḷa, a Dravidian-speaking people, Sanskrit Dravida

First Known Use

1734, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Tamil

• anthill
• backfill
• bluegill
• crossbill
• distil
• distill
• downhill
• dunghill
• foothill
• fulfil
• fulfill
• goodwill