Prof. U. Muhammad Iqbal’s article “Linguistic Links between Arabic and Tamil) (Radiance, 14-20 April) made for a delightful reading. Prof. Iqbal has brought to focus a relatively neglected area of linguistic study. Like a true linguist, he has explored how history has left its footprints on language.
We know that India, especially South India, came in contact with the Arab traders for several hundred years after the 7th century. As a result, many Arabic words made their way into the regional languages of South India including Tamil. But, in the process, the Arabic words were Indianised.
Prof. Iqbal has shown the influence of Arabic on Tamil down to the level of phoneme, furnishing intriguing examples. But, as he has suggested at the conclusion of his article, more full-scale research is needed to unravel the many-sidedness of Arabic influence on the Tamil language.
Mostafa Murshid Pasa
Rajnagar, Mushidabad (W.B)